





• 

























<. 












<J 




^ -^ V* 






^ ^ 










W 






,^% ' 





















S) 


v, ,#' 






£ % 


- 











% .#' 






%>*%* 1 



o v 




* < 



; "^ >* 









V V 




%. 















vO^ 







** 



o 



V ^ 

\ 

















V^' - 



* & 



> ^ 



o\^ 




*■ >^^ * 



- .«* 



<S <*. 









OCT 



^ r*. 



CAMP-MEETING 

SERMONS 



Sermons preached at the general annual 

camp-meeting of the church of God 

held at Anderson, Indiana 

June 645, 1913 



J&" 4 



"I charge thee therefore before God, and the 
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and 
the dead at his appearing and his kingdom ; Preach 
the word; be instant in season, out of season; re- 
prove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and 
doctrine." 2 Tim. 4:1, 2. 



t 



GOSPEL TRUMPET CO., ANDERSON. IND. 






Copyright, 1913, 

by 

Gospel Trumpet Company. 



©CI.-' 



PREFACE. 



Preface. 

The sermons preached at the Anderson, Indiana, camp- 
meeting, June 6-15, 1913, were of such great benefit to 
the several thousands who attended, that it has been 
deemed well to publish them in book-form. Thousands 
of people who for various reasons were unable to attend 
this well-known meeting will be glad to read these 
sermons and thus partake of the soul-food that those 
who attended were privileged to feast on; and those who 
heard the sermons preached will want to reenjoy them 
at leisure. 

Perhaps it is to be regretted that not all the funda- 
mental subjects of biblical teaching were treated, but a 
discussion of those subjects not treated here will be found 
in other books published by this company. It must be 
borne in mind that the sermons were not preached for 
the book, but for the needs of the particular audience in 
attendance. This will explain the appearance of what- 
ever may seem to be of somewhat local nature. 
No program was arranged for the meeting, as is the 
custom with most large assemblies, but each minister 
spoke as he felt led of the Holy Spirit. 

This book is intended to be a complete report of the 
general sermons preached. A number of short talks and 
the talks given at the young people's meetings, children's 
meetings, and overflow meetings were necessarily omitted. 
In the preparation of the manuscript it was necessary to 
slightly abridge and in some instances to slightly re- 
arrange the sermons. It is a well-recognized fact that 
spoken sermons usually need at least slight changing 
before they are suitable for publication in printed form, 
some portions needing to be combined, and some repeti- 
tions omitted. A large part of this work was done by 
those who nreached the sermons, each editing his own 



4 PREFACE. 

manuscript. The remaining; part was done under the 
direction of the Publication Committee. 

If any of the general sermons are out of their proper 
order, it is because the manuscripts were late; and if 
any are omitted entirely, it is because the manuscripts 
were withheld by the preachers themselves. The Pub- 
lication Committee has made special effort to have all of 
the sermons printed. The post-office addresses of the 
ministers whose sermons appear, are given in the list of 
contents. 

Any errors that the reader may find he will kindly 
overlook, bearing in mind that, in the first place, the 
sermons were not preached for publication and conse- 
quently were not as carefully prepared as they would 
otherwise have been; and that, in the second place, the 
editorial work has had to be done in great haste. 

It is our earnest prayer that the inspiring truths 
herein presented under the anointing of the Holy Spirit 
may be heralded to the ends of the earth. 

Publication Committee. 

Anderson, Indiana, 
July 28, 1913. 



CONTENTS. 



Contents. 

Preface 3 

The Camp-Meeting 7 

Pure Beligion 17 

By H. M. Rig-grle, New Bethlehem, Pa. 
How to Get Sanctified 25 

By K A. Reardon, Chicago, 111. 
The Spirit-Filled Life 35 

By W. J. Henry, Graydon Springs, Mo. 
Salvation 44 

By I. S. McCoy, West Monterey, Pa. 
An Introductory Address 49 

By E. E. Byrum, Anderson, Ind. 
The Preacher in Demand 54 

By H. M. Rig-gle, New Bethlehem, Pa. 
Evidences of Salvation 62 

By H. M.- Rigrgle, New Bethlehem, Pa. 
The Love of God 72 

By J. E. Forrest, Paducah, Ky. 
Pure Religion 82 

By J. Grant Anderson, Franklin, Pa. 
Heavenly Wisdom 91 

By J. W. Byers, Oakland, Cal. 
Divine Healing 100 

By Willis M. Brown, Roswell, N. Mex. 
God Eules Over All 119 

By H. A. Brooks, Denver, Colo. 
Loss and Profit 130 

By Orval Line, Pierceton, Ind. 
God's Purpose to Save the World 141 

By Nora Hunter, Pierceton, Ind. 
Setting the Right Example 152 

By H. M. Rigrg-le, New Bethlehem, Pa. 
God's Justice and Mercy 171 

By W. T. Seaton, Doniphan, Mo. 
Divine Law 177 

By D. O. Teasley, Bessemer, Ala. 
Two Kingdoms 197 

By Geo. L. Cole, Wichita, Kans. 
Things to Remember.. 214 

By J. W. Byers, Oakland, Cal. 
Realities of Life 225 

By J. Lee Collins, Niota, Tenn. 
The True Standard .... 238 

By H. M. Rig&le, New Bethlehem, Pa. 



6 CONTENTS. 

Our Mission in the World _ 253 

' By J. D. Smoot, Chicago, 111. 

The Fatherhood of God . 265 

By J. E. Forrest, Paducah, Ky. 

Increasing the Ministerial Force 277 

By Geo. L. Cole, Wichita, Kans. 

Prepare to Meet Gocl - 285 

By M. P. Rimmer, Norton, Va. 

Encouraging the Young Workers 289 

By Mary Cole, Anderson, Ind. 

How to Get Healing Faith 296 

By Willis M. Brown, Roswell, N. Mex. 

God 's Time Now 318 

By W. F. Chapel, Knifiey, Ky. 

Followed by W. J. Henry, Graydon Springs. Mo. 

They So Spake 336 

By H. M. Rig-gle, New Bethlehem, Pa. 

Missionary Sermon 347 

By Jennie M. Byers, Oakland, Cal. 

Missionary Talks: 

India, Alice V. Hale 367 

India, Robert Jarvis 369 

Germany, Otto Doebert 370 

Germany, Gertrude Doebert 374 

China, C. E. Hunnex 376 

West Indies, Geo. Q. Coplin 379 

West Indies, Archie Rather 383 

Ireland, iirs. .^.nna Cheatham 384 

Africa, D. F. Oden 385 

West Indies, N. S. Duncan 389 

Africa, F. O. Fuerholzer 391 

Syria, Alexander F. Trad 392 

The Ruin of Sin and Disoh. • 394 

Ev N. S. Duncan, Alexandria, Ind. 

The Church of God 402 

By W. F. Chapel, Knilley, Ky. 

Ordinance of Feet-Washing 415 

By N. S. Duncan, Alexandria, Ind. 

Ordinance of the Lord's Sapper 420 

By J. N. Howard, Anderson, Ind. 

Approved unto God 4_\ r> , 

By J. N. Howard, Anderson. Ind. 

Followed bv C. E. Orr, Woodside, Aberdeen, Scotland. 

The Gospel to All the World 429 

By H. M. Riggle, New Bethlehem, Fa. 

Effects of Sin and of the Blood of < hrist 446 

By J. C. Turner, Dayton, Ohio. 

Ministry of Healing 462 

By E. E. Byrum, Anderson, Ind. 

Sanctification 480 

By L. F. Robold, Indianapolis, Ind. 



THE CAMP-MEETING. 



The Camp-Meeting. 

Anderson, Indiana, June 6-15, 1913. 

From the beginning of the camp-meeting the beautiful 
grounds adjoining the Gospel Trumpet Home and Print- 
ing-office were thronged with people. They came from 
the East and the West, from the North and the South; 
and many remarked that they had never attended an as- 
sembly that began with a more heavenly atmosphere. A 
number came more than a thousand miles for the pur- 
pose of making their peace with God. Day after day 
following the preaching of the Word, the long altars 
were filled with those seeking help from God, some for 
the forgiveness of sins, others for sanctification, and 
still others for the healing of their bodies. There was 
great rejoicing in the audience as well as among the 
angels in heaven. The auditorium resounded with the 
praises of God as souls were born into the kingdom. 
Many ministers and gospel workers gave the seekers 
the necessary instructions, and prayed the prayer of 
faith for their help and deliverance. Those who came 
forward ranged from the young to the aged. True to his 
Word, the God of heaven, in answer to the prayer of 
faith and the seekers' humble submission to his will, sent 
deliverance to them without respect to age. The power 
and glory of God rested upon the meeting. 

"This is the best camp-meeting I have ever attended"; 
"This is the best camp-meeting ever held in Anderson," 
and similar remarks were heard constantly from the 
hundreds who were in attendance. The meeting went 
on record as the most powerful ever held in Anderson. 
In attendance it was greater than previous meetings. 
People gathered earlier this year than usual. The ex- 
ceDtionallv cool weather was unexpected, and some were 



8 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

unprepared, but the large crowds were cared for .very 
nicely. 

A force of one hundred and seventy-five workers was 
detailed to look after all who came. The working force 
was well organized. The meeting was managed by a 
committee of seven men. These elected their chairman, 
secretary, treasurer, and superintendent. Under the 
superintendent were the foremen of the different depart- 
ments, among which were the following: Ushers at 
Trains, Passenger Transportation, Baggage Transpor- 
tation, Lodging, Culinary, Lunch-Stand, Bureau of In- 
formation, Book-Store, Janitor Work, Night-Watch, 
Lights and Water, Parcel-Checking and Lost and Found, 
etc. No pains were spared to make the people feel 
welcome and comfortable. Three meals a day were 
served in the large dining-room of the Trumpet Home. 
Ten cents a meal (5c for children) was charged. Lodg- 
ing was 25c for the entire meeting; passenger transpor- 
tation, 5c a person, and baggage free. The worthy poor 
and the ministers and gospel workers were provided for 
free of charge. The general expenses of the meeting 
were paid by free-will offerings. 

Not only was the large auditorium, with a capacity of 
about two thousand people, well filled at almost every 
general service, but at times hundreds of people were 
unable to gain admittance, and overflow meetings were 
held. Regular services were held as follows: Morning 
worship, 6:30; ministers' meeting, 8 A. M.; German 
service, 9; general morning service, 10:30; children's 
meeting, 11; German service, 1 P. M.; young people's 
meeting. 1:30; general afternoon service, 2:30; baptis- 
mal service, 4:30; song-service and testimony-meeting, 
6:30; general evening service, 7. The ministers' meet- 
ings, children's meetings, and young people's meetings 
were held in the chapel of the Trumpet Home, and the 
German services were held in a tent erected for that 



THE CAMP-MEETING. ' 9 

purpose. This tabernacle was also used for other special 
meetings. 

Many remarks were made concerning one noticeable 
feature of the assembly — the sweet, heavenly unity of 
spirit that was felt in general. As a result, there were 
victory and power in preaching the definite, radical 
truths of the Bible, and the preaching was accompanied 
by shouts and praises and soul-stirring, heart-melting, 
convicting and convincing power of God. 

THE MISSIONARY MEETINGS. 

The services of one day — Friday — were given to mis- 
sionary work. It was called missionary day. During 
the morning service a missionary sermon was delivered 
by Sister Jennie M. Byers. In the afternoon a number 
of missionaries, who had returned from foreign fields, 
made earnest appeals for workers and the work in the 
foreign lands where they had severally labored. Among 
those who gave talks of ten minutes each were: Alice 
V. Hale and Robert Jarvis, from India; Otto and Ger- 
trude Doebert, from Germany and Russia; Charles E. 
Hunnex, from China; George Q. Coplin and Archie 
Rather, from the West Indies. Bro. William Ebel and 
wife, of Russia, were called away from the camp-meet- 
ing before missionary day. Bro. N. S. Duncan, who had 
spent some time in the West Indies, also spoke. Sister 
Anna Cheatham, who expects to return to Ireland in the 
near future, spoke of the need in the British Isles; Bro. 
D. F. Oden, of Bessemer, Ala., told of the needs of the 
work in South and West Africa; Bro. F. Fuerholzer, 
spoke of Central Africa; Brother Trad, from Syria, gave 
a short talk in behalf of Syria. Several prospective mis- 
sionaries attended the camp-meeting. 

The missionary services were very impressive, and 
undoubtedly inspired missionary zeal in many hearts, 
not only for the sending of more workers, but also for 



10 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

the supplying of the workers already in the field. A 
number of the missionaries remarked that they received 
but few letters from those in the home land, and urged 
that the brethren at home send them letters of encourage- 
ment more frequently. 

THE MINISTERS* MEETINGS. 

From eight to nine o'clock every morning the Trum- 
pet Home chapel was filled to overflowing with minis- 
ters and gospel workers, while some of the ministers 
gave good, wholesome advice and instruction. These 
services were profitable to every one present. 

Three ordination-services were held, at which a num- 
ber of brethren and sisters who had proved themselves 
worthy and capable were ordained to the ministry by 
the laying on of hands and prayer. 

HOW THE PULPIT WAS MANAGED. 

To many it is interesting to know how the pulpit of 
an assembly of several thousand people and several hun- 
dred ministers can be managed without a program. The 
reason why no programs are needed at camp-meetings 
of the saints is because they depend on the Holy Spirit 
to direct the preaching. Ministers who live in close com- 
munion with God and are in touch with the people so 
that they know their needs, have little difficulty in get- 
ting a profitable and timely message. At this camp- 
meeting the ministers were repeatedly invited and urged 
to take an active part in preaching. 

It often happens that a number of preachers feel the 
burden for the same message, and that is why they can 
say amen as the message is delivered. Sometimes it may 
happen that ministers differ in their opinions as to what 
should be preached and who should preach in a certain 
meeting; but when these meet together for consultation 
and prayer, they have no difficulty in submitting to each 



THE CAMP-MEETING. 11 

other and in deciding the proper course to pursue. It 
is always well for those who feel led to preach in a cer- 
tain meeting to consult with the others who also feel led 
to preach, and this plan was followed at the Anderson 
camp-meeting. 

In order that the many different ministers who felt 
led to preach might be able to locate each other for 
consultation, it was deemed well to appoint some one to 
be responsible for each of the different services, to see 
that they began and ended on time so as not to conflict 
with other meetings, and to see that somebody was ready 
to preach. He did not, however, appoint the preacher. 
Each minister was given due liberty to preach when- 
ever he felt led of the Spirit. One was appointed to look 
after the morning worship, another after ministers' meet- 
ing, another after the general morning service, another 
after the children's meetings, etc. Accordingly, those 
who felt led to preach in any particular service con- 
sulted with the one in general charge, and thus all who 
felt similar leadings could get together. This simple 
plan worked well and gave each minister and worker the 
necessary freedom to do as the Spirit led him. 

No one had any inclination to manage the pulpit for 
personal interests; in fact, no such thing would be per- 
mitted by a congregation who are spiritual. When, how- 
ever, men who are under a wrong spirit or who are in- 
fluenced by a wrong element seek the pulpit, there is, or 
should be, divine power and authority enough in the min- 
istry of the church of God to hold such in check and to 
keep them from imposing improper sermons upon the 
audience. 

BAPTISMAL AND ORDINANCE-SERVICES. 

Almost every afternoon baptismal services were held 
at the pool on the camp ground, so that those who had 
been saved during the meeting could offer themselves 



12 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

for baptism in fulfilment of the words of Jesus, "Go ye 
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 
I have commanded thee." Matt. 28:19,20. In all, 
nine baptismal services were held. Thirty-one persons 
were baptized at the last service and a goodly number 
at each of the other services — more than one hundred 
all told. 

On Saturday afternoon, after a short talk on the 
ordinance of feet-washing, the saints followed the ex- 
ample of Jesus and his disciples as recorded in John 
13:14-17- While observing this ordinance, the sisters, 
who numbered probably more than a thousand, occupied 
the large auditorium, and the brethren occupied the taber- 
nacle-tent used for the German services. Afterward 
all reassembled in the auditorium and, after a short talk 
on the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, partook of the 
bread and wine. 

PRAYER ANSWERED. 

It is evident that the prayers offered during this meet- 
ing encircled the globe. For some time previous hun- 
dreds of requests were received from every direction from 
those who could not attend, asking prayer for help from 
God. Requests were sent by telegraph, telephone, and 
mail. These were all remembered in prayer. In all, 
1,272 requests were received. Letters stating that the 
Lord had answered prayer also came in before the meet- 
ing closed. One woman wrote that she had already re- 
ceived help according to her request — was healed of 
cancer. Others at their homes entered into the agree- 
ment of prayer and were healed of various diseases. 

DEVIL POSSESSED DELIVERED. 

Some who were bound by the power of Satan and 
unable of themselves to get freedom came forward for 



THE CAMP-MEETING. 13 

prayer; and when hands were laid on and the prayer of 
faith oifered, they were loosed from the grasp of the 
enemy and enabled to obtain a satisfactory experience. 
One man who was possessed with evil spirits came sev- 
eral hundred miles for help. When the evil spirits were 
rebuked, they caused the man to make strange manifesta- 
tions, one being to bark like a dog. The devils had tor- 
mented him so that he had no peace day nor night, but he 
was delivered and filled with the praises of God. 

THE SICK HEALED. 

Just before the meeting one old sister, who was so 
crippled with rheumatism that it was with great diffi- 
culty that she walked, applied for healing. As prayer 
was offered, she arose and walked. She said, "This 
is the first step that I have taken without my cane for 
a long time," and started for the car with the cane under 
her arm. A day or two later she returned, leaving her 
cane at home and praising the Lord for his healing 
power. Every day many persons applied for the heal- 
ing of their bodies, and were healed of sicknesses and 
diseases of various kinds. Sister W. R. Bradshaw, of 
Beaver Falls, Pa., who had been an invalid for over 
nine years, most of this time being unable to walk, was 
brought in a wheel-chair. When prayer was offered for 
her, she was enabled to arise and walk a short dis- 
tance, and thereafter she walked back and forth from 
her tent to the meeting. No one will ever know the 
extent of the manifestation of the power of God in heal- 
ing the sick and afflicted at the various services. We 
can here call attention to only a few cases. Many applied 
during altar-services and between meetings. 

One of the most powerful healing-services was held 
on the last Sunday afternoon in the German tent by Bro. 
E. E. Byrum, Sister Delia Fry, and others. A large 
crowd assembled. At the same time about two thousand 



14 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

people were listening to the preaching of the Word in 
the auditorium and a large number were having the 
Word expounded to them in another part of the camp 
ground. At the healing service these words of the 
prophet Isaiah were read : "He will come and save you. 
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the 
ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame 
man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall 
sing." Reference was made to the time when Jesus 
opened the eyes of the blind and performed the other 
wonderful works mentioned in the prophecy. The speaker 
related how, at that time, some who were blind were 
healed instantly, and how one man came to Jesus and 
was made to see "men as trees walking," and after- 
wards came again and received perfect sight. Attention 
was also called to Heb. 13: 8, which says, "Jesus Christ 
the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Then in- 
stances were given of different persons who had been 
healed of blindness during the past few years and dur- 
ing this series of meetings. 

One unsaved woman who had been to the altar, when 
prayed for arose shouting the praises of God and de- 
claring that she had received her sight. The last that 
was heard of her, she was going down the street with 
both hands raised praising God for her sight. Bro. 
Geo. Petty, of Urbana, Ohio, was in this afternoon serv- 
ice. Several years ago he was a very wicked man and 
reckless. He became convicted of his sins, but did not 
yield. He said that God smote him blind for three days. 
He then yielded his heart to God. He had felt for years, 
however, that the Lord desired him to preach the gospel ; 
and after giving his heart to the Lord he not only felt 
his call to preach, but was shown just what to do and 
where his work would be. In July of that year he prom- 
ised God that if He would help him to pay a debt of 
several hundred dollars he would be obedient to the call. 



THE CAMP-MEETING. 15 

The Lord prospered him so that by the middle of the fol- 
lowing December the debt was paid. Notwithstanding 
this, on the tenth of January he told the Lord that he 
could not or would not undertake the responsibilities of 
the calling. That night he retired about ten o'clock, and 
at half-past two in the morning he was awakened "stone 
blind." After this he thought that he had greater rea- 
son for not being obedient, that is on account of his 
blindness, and he went deep into sin. A few months 
ago, however, he yielded himself to God and determined 
to do His will. He came to the camp-meeting blind, but 
expecting to receive his sight. He was prayed for at 
one of the other services, and was able to recognize his 
wife and others for the first time in more than five years, 
and could give a description of a person near him; but 
in this afternoon service he testified that he was ex- 
pecting to have a further touch of healing power and be 
able to read the Word of God. Prayer was offered for 
him, and he testified that he could see better, but we 
did not see him after that time nor learn the extent of 
the manifestation of the power of God in his behalf. 

Some who Were afflicted with deafness received the 
healing touch. One woman who had been troubled with 
deafness, was able to hear a person talk in a low whisper. 
Another sister who had been able to hear only with great 
difficulty, received such a healing touch that she could 
hear a clock tick at some distance, which she had not 
done for many years. Three crutches were shown from 
the pulpit from those who had been healed by the power 
of God and who consequently had no further use of 
them. In one of the other services Henry Hill, Reed 
City, Mich., who had been afflicted for eight months with 
paralysis and had with considerable difficulty been hob- 
bling about on crutches, yielded himself to the Lord and 
was saved and at the same time healed of his paralysis. 
He threw away his crutches and was well soul and body. 



16 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

During the healing-services the question was asked, 
"How many in the congregation have been healed at any 
time by the power of God?" Hands went up from all 
parts of the audience. Three persons arose in testimony 
of having been healed of cancer. One sister, who had 
been afflicted with a cancer extending almost around her 
body, testified that she was instantly healed when hands 
were laid upon her and prayer offered, and that there 
was not a scar left on her body. A lady from the city 
of Anderson who was sorely afflicted with a large cancer 
was brought to the meeting by a trained nurse. The lady 
had never heard teaching on the subject of healing, but 
had learned of the manifestation of God's power at the 
meeting. A number of people unacquainted with God's 
power to heal came to see her healed. While prayer was 
being offered, the nurse constantly felt the patient's pulse 
in order to witness the change should there be any. Soon 
the lady arose, went back and for? h among he/ friends, 
wedged her way through the crowd, said she wanted 
to shake hands with everybody, and seemed almost 
to forget that she had been afflicted. Many who came 
to witness the healing came forward that prayer might 
be offered in their behalf. 

The camp-meeting was a success from beginning to 
end. 



PURE RELIGION. 17 

Pure Religion. 

In the Chapel, Thursday evening, June 5, 
by H. M. Higgle. 

You will find my text in Jas. 1:27: "Pure religion 
and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To 
visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and 
to keep himself unspotted from the world." 

The epistle of James is sometimes termed the prac- 
tical epistle. It deals with personal experience. Many 
of the epistles are more doctrinal. For example, Paul's 
letter to the Romans is almost wholly doctrinal. It 
presents some of the most sublime doctrine contained in 
the New Testament. But the epistle of James deals 
not so much with doctrines as it does with practical every- 
day Christian life. It is called one of the pastoral 
epistles. It is also considered by scholars to be the 
first written book of the New Testament. Its tone 
and style of expression prove it to be a very ancient 
document. 

Two thoughts are expressed in my text: 1. What 
is the religion of the Bible. 2. What is the visible mani- 
festation of this religion. 

The term religion is seldom used among us. When 
I was a boy, it was a common term. To be converted 
was to get religion. Today the term salvation has 
largely supplanted it, especially among spiritual peo- 
ple. Salvation pertains more to the inward experience 
of the soul, while religion rather expresses the result 
of that experience in the outward life. Religion de- 
notes the influence and life, the feelings and acts of 
men, with respect to their relation to God. It is a 
system of faith and worship. First, I will consider 
what is the religion of the Bible. 

"pure religion/' 
Every possessor of salvation has pure religion. No 



18 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

one can have pure religion without salvation. Religion 
may be corrupted, and people may have many and va- 
rious kinds of religion. Religion may be pure or im- 
pure. This is implied in our text. But with reference 
to salvation, there is but one kind. It can never be 
corrupted. All who possess it have the same experi- 
ence. 

The world is full of religions. The majority of the 
people of the earth today are zealous religionists. The 
eight hundred million heathen in darkened lands have 
their religions. In enlightened nations will be found 
hundreds of religions, the Cotholics, Lutherans, Meth- 
odist, Mormon, Amish, Dunkard, Baptist, Universalist, 
Unitarian, and others. All these religions differ from 
each other in many particulars. Yes, in all parts of 
the earth will be found religions. 

Religion is an effect. An effect so universal must 
have back of it a cause as universal as the visible effect 
produced. The cause is, God made man a religious 
being, religious in his very nature. This accounts for 
the religious zeal among all people of earth. But the 
world is filled with many false and corrupt religions, 
yet in the midst of them all there stands out promi- 
nently one religion that is pure, the religion of the 
Bible. 

PURE IN ITS SOURCE. 

This religion is pure because the fountain and spring 
from which it flows is pure. Religion, like a stream, is 
as pure as its source of supply. If the fountain is 
unclean, the stream will be unclean. If the fountain 
is pure, the stream will be pure. Religion must be like 
its source. All religions that emanated from an impure 
source must be impure religions. Take for example, 
the pagan religions of the world. Why are they im- 
pure? I answer, because their source is impure. They 



PURE RELIGION. 19 

were conceived in the minds of unregenerate men. The 
founders of many of these religions lived low sensual 
lives. The spirit of sensuality was infused into these 
religions by their founders, and the millions of poor 
devotees and worshipers partake of this same spirit. 
This accounts for the low state of morals in heathen 
lands. The worshipers of any religion are in moral 
character like the religion they embrace. And the re- 
ligion is like its source. 

Mohammedanism is another demonstration of this 
fact. The vile corrupting influence of this religion is 
seen in the low state of morals among its worshipers, 
and all because it emanated from a corrupt source. 
"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?" Not 
one. Let us come nearer home. The reason the devo- 
tees of the Mormon religion were polygamists was be- 
cause the leaders and founders of this religion were 
polygamists, and men of low morals. Every religion 
founded by man can not reach a higher plane than its 
founder occupied. Every stream will reach its own 
level. It can get no higher. Human religions are ani- 
mated by human life. 

The religion of the Bible is pure because its source 
is pure. The fountain from which it flows is Jesus 
Christ. Glory to God! He is the blessed spring from 
which flow the sparkling waters of pure religion. All 
the worshipers of this pure religion are in moral char- 
acter like the religion they embrace, pure in heart and 
life. In the midst of the thousands of muddy streams 
of false and corrupt religions, there flows one stream 
of the water of life, clear as crystal. Its sparkling 
waters have meandered down through the ages, and at 
last will disembogue into the vast ocean of eternity. 
Twenty centuries ago this stream came dashing down to 
earth, flowing out from the throne of God in heaven. 
Thousands and millions eagerly drank of its refreshing 



20 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

waters. Then during the dark ages of apostasy, it 
narrowed down to a very small rivulet. But as we 
reach the blessed evening light of the full gospel in 
these last days, it again broadens into a mighty stream 
"the waters whereof make glad the city of God." It 
is the pure religion of the Bible. Thank God, we have 
found this stream. It is not of human origin, but is 
heavenly and divine. Unlike all other religions, it did 
not spring out of earth, it came from heaven. It was 
shut up in heaven for four thousand years, hid in the 
infinite wisdom of God. During that time no one saw 
it but in type and shadow. Only in type and shadow 
did the Old Testament saints drink of that spiritual 
rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. 
This religion is pure because it is divine. It comes to 
us from Christ, out of heaven, through the gospel. It 
is pure in its source. 

PURE IN ITS PRINCIPLES. 

Its principles are lofty and ennobling. It will lift 
fallen man to the level of its source. In this respect 
compare it with other religions and philosophies. Among 
the world's greatest philosophers were Plato, Aristotle, 
and Socrates. These men taught a religion and phil- 
osophy by which they expected to lift humanity to the 
plane of moral perfection. In this they utterly failed. 
Jesus Christ was the greatest philosopher that ever 
set foot upon earth. He brought a religion from heaven 
that is pure in its principles, and so uplifting that all 
who embrace it are raised up to the plane of moral per- 
fection. This religion brings us to the place where we 
worship the true God alone. In fact, it restores to man 
a true conception of God, and this intensifies our ardor 
and love in our worship of him. 

A person will become in character like the object he 
worships. Your conception of that deity, while you 



PURE RELIGION. 21 

worship and adore it, will mold your character into 
the same condition and state. I cite an example in the 
Northmen who as pirates made plundering expeditions 
along the coasts of Europe in the ninth century. Among 
the gods they worshiped were Odin and Thor. These 
were supposed to be bloodthirsty and cruel in the ex- 
treme. In the worship of these supposed deities the 
people partook of a cruel and bloodthirsty nature, such 
as was never equaled in the annals of all history. 

The religion of the Bible differs from all other re- 
ligions. It gives us a true comprehension and knowl- 
edge of God, and enables us to worship him in spirit 
and in truth. The result is, we become like him. "As 
he is, so are we in this world." The better and fuller 
our comprehension of him, the more intense will our 
worship be, and the more will we be conformed in char- 
acter to him. The stamp of holiness is upon the relig- 
ion of Christ. It will produce holiness of heart and 
life in all who fully accept it. Its principles are holi- 
ness, truth, and goodness. As we embrace them, we 
are made better in every way. The religion of Jesus 
Christ demands a righteous life, and forbids all sin, 
and it gives us power and grace to comply with these 
demands. It is pure in its principles. 

PURE IN ITS INFLUENCE. 

Every religion wields an influence either good or bad. 
This religion wields a pure influence. It produces pure 
desires and purposes in our lives. Yes, it will do that 
very thing for those who have fallen to the lowest 
depths of sin. Though your mind and heart may be 
filled with impure thoughts, desires, purposes, schemes, 
and plans, that dishonor God and ruin character, the 
religion of Jesus Christ will change the whole course 
of your life, and produce in you such pure motives in 
all you do, that your life will glorify God. It will 



S2 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

gather the broken fragments of a ruined life and char- 
acter, and build a holy temple for God to occupy. "I 
will dwell in them." "The temple of God is holy, 
which temple ye are." 

Pure religion will produce in you a pure speech 
and conduct; you will not talk and act like the world. 
It will put itself on exhibition in your life. It will 
shine out in your daily walk before your fellow men. 
Its influence upon others is pure; it holds before them 
a better and higher life, and thus wins them to Christ. 
The majority of us were brought to Christ through the 
godly life and influence of others. This pure religion 
in their lives convinced us, and thus we became the 
happy recipients. 

VISIBLE MANIFESTATIONS. 

In the words of our text, "To visit the fatherless 
and widows in their affliction," a general principle is 
laid down. As I said in the beginning, there is a prac- 
tical side to Christianity. Too many people see no 
farther than simply going to meeting, singing, praying, 
and having a happy time. To meet God's approval 
means more than that. t So many people can shout 
halleluiah; but when it comes to putting the principles 
of Christianity into practical demonstration in their 
daily life, they are not in it. Jesus went about doing 
good, ministering to the needs of the people. His was 
a life of self sacrifice; he pleased not himself. This 
was the example he set for us to follow. We are ex- 
horted to be "full of good works." 

"As ye would that men should do to you, do ye like- 
wise also so to them." Visit and comfort the distressed, 
the bereaved ones about you. Feed the hungry, and 
share with the worthy poor. Give liberally of 
your means to the gospel, support the ministry. 
Let your profession of love be not merely in word 



PURE RELIGION. 23 

and in tongue, but in deed and in truth. Visit 
the widow in her affliction. Take her a basket 
of food, and some clothes for her children. This 
will appeal to her. Then tell her of Jesus' love and 
power to save. Visit the orphans who are left without 
the protection of father and mother and home; visit 
them in their distress. If they need help, give it to 
them. You may thus win them to Christ. 

O friends, it is going to take practical living to get 
men saved. The reward in the last great day will be 
given to the practical Christian. He will hear the 
King's blessed words: "Come, * * * inherit the king- 
dom * * * I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: 
I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, 
and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was 
sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came 
unto me. * * * Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one 
of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto 
me." 

To those on the left hand the King will say: "De- 
part from me, ye cursed. * * * I was an hungered, and 
ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no 
drink: I was a stranger: and ye took me not in: naked, 
and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye vis- 
ited me not. * * * Inasmuch as ye did it not to one 
of the least of these, ye did it not to me." 

In the name of Jesus I ask tonight, Is the pure re- 
ligion of the Bible visibly manifested in your daily life 
in such a practical way that you can undergo this final 
severe test? Will you, measured by this standard, be 
found on the right side or the left? 

CLEAN FROM THE WORLD. 

"To keep himself unspotted from the world." The 
course of this world is downward and hellward. If 
you would gain heaven, you must go the opposite direc- 



24 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

tion. You will have to stem the great tide that is going 
to perdition, and start up stream. The world will if 
possible spot your affections, your conscience, and your 
conduct. It is an easy thing to get your affections on 
the things of the world; on your money; on your in- 
fluence among the people; on their applause and honor; 
on the style and fashion of this gay world. To do so 
is to become spotted in your affections. "Set your 
affection on things above." God wants our affections 
pure and untarnished. If you are not careful, you can 
reach out after the world, until your conscience will 
become so spotted, that it will approve of what you 
do. Conscience is unsafe unless educated to the Word 
of truth. Our conduct will be affected just in propor- 
tion as we go with the world. In order that we keep 
our conscience clean, and live a pure life before God, we 
must go squarely against the world. 

Pure religion is visibly manifested in people keeping 
themselves unspotted from the world. Bless God, this 
is my experience! It is not only true in Jas. 1 : 27, but 
it is true in me. And may each one of you who is yet 
without this pure religion obtain this glorious experi- 
ence. 



HOW TO GET SANCTIFIED. 25 

How to Get Sanctified. 

In the Auditorium, Friday morning, June 6, 
by E. A. Reardon. 

I want to call your attention to the 17th chapter of 
John and the 17th verse. "Sanctify them through thy 
truth ; thy word is truth." There are two phases to sanctifi- 
cation. One is, setting ourselves apart unto God. This 
is our part and is expressed by the word consecration. 
There is another part which God does, namely, the 
cleansing of the heart. The scripture in Rom. 12:1 
says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies 
of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, 
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable 
service." There is something on the human side to be 
done; not by way of meriting the experience, but as a 
condition; for the Lord did not instruct his disciples 
to work for the Holy Ghost, but to wait for him. It 
is a fact that many are deprived of the blessings of God 
simply because they have never fully learned to meet 
the conditions faithfully. God has a wonderful part 
in our sanctification which we can not do, and we have 
a part which God will not do for us. 

A PERFECT CONSECRATION. 

We read in Luke 22 : 42 the prayer of the Lord Jesus 
when in the Garden of Gethsemane. You remember he 
went a stone's throw from the disciples and knelt down 
in the presence of his Father and prayed, "Father, if it 
be thy will, let this cup pass from me." He saw what 
was before him and was already feeling the power of 
his great suffering. His human self wished it other- 
wise, but his submission to the Father caused him to 
say, "Not my will, but thine, be done." Brothers and 
sisters, right here in a few words is the essence of a 
perfect consecration, "Not my will, but thine, be done." 



26 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

There may be times when our humanity would wish 
things otherwise, but if there is true submission in the 
soul to the will of God we can say in the depths of 
our sufferings, "Not my will, but thine, be done." If 
every one of us had this submission in his heart, there 
would be no trouble keeping in line with God. To do 
our part in getting sanctified is to give up our own will 
and take God's will. There will be no difficulty re- 
garding the details of consecration if the inward act of 
submission is perfect and if the purpose to obey God 
abides in the heart. 

Now we know that there is a self left in a person 
after he has his sins forgiven, I mean a carnal self. 
We do not need to have a preacher tell us that. When 
one comes to submit himself from his inmost soul to 
the will of God he will find what that something is. 
Some do not know that it is in the heart nor how strong 
it is until they begin to submit themselves to God's will. 

NECESSARY TO BE DEFINITE. 

I want to call your attention now to the definite part 
of sanctification. One may be some time arriving at the 
definite point where his heart says, "No more my will, 
but the will of God be done in me"; but it is fatal and 
disappointing for one to stop before the definite act 
of inward, heartfelt submission is made. Many people 
make a big stir and endeavor to go to meeting more 
diligently and to do other things as substitutes, but if 
the heart has not reached the point and performed the 
definite act of submission, God can not give the ex- 
perience. Right at this point of definite sacrifice is 
where the selfish self ends and faith takes hold of God. 
This is the time also at which you receive the Holy Ghost. 
The Holy Ghost is not an experience but he is the one 
who works the experience in the soul the very moment 
the heart submits and the faith appropriates the prom- 



HOW TO GET SANCTIFIED. 27 

ise. I belive I told those of you who were at the last 
assembly that there are people today, who, if you should 
ask them, Are you sanctified? would say, "Yes, I am 
sanctified"; but if you should ask them, Have you re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost? they would begin to dodge the 
question, saying, "I think so, I hope so," or "I went 
to the altar twice." The fact of the matter is, if a man 
gets sanctified at all it is done by the Holy Ghost the 
moment he receives him into his heart; and, on the other 
hand, if a man receives the Holy Ghost he receives the 
experience of sanctification, for this work is wrought in 
the heart by the incoming of the Holy Spirit. 

I attended a certain camp-meeting last year where 
an old soldier presented himself at the altar of prayer. 
He hardly knew what he wanted but finally concluded 
that perhaps it was sanctification. I asked him if he 
was saved and he said, "I hope so," "I think so." I 
said to him, "Grandpa, were you in the Civil War?" 
"Yes, sir," he replied, very definitely. I asked him a 
few more questions relative to his experience in the war 
and he always replied very definitely and clearly. Now 
when I asked him previously as to whether he was 
saved or not, he had to guess about it; but when I asked 
him regarding the war he answered clearly. People 
can always give you a definite answer regarding a 
thing they know. If he had had the experience of sal- 
vation he would have known it and could have answered 
without dodging. We may know we have the Holy 
Spirit as well as we know we have a spirit of our own. 
If people would pray more and persevere until they had 
received the Holy Spirit there would not be so many 
dry professions. I pray God that he will get every 
doubter and dodger in the corner and help them to see 
that they must get a definite experience. Your experi- 
ence must be clear. Guessing will not do at the judg- 
ment. 



28 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Some one may ask, "How shall I know when I am 
saved?" Just in a simple hearted way do what God 
tells a sinner to do. "Whosoever covereth his sins shall 
not prosper." If you are covering any of your sins, 
then do not try to profess until you have uncovered 
them. If you find a power preventing you from uncov- 
ering them, you need to get serious about your case. 
"Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have 
mercy." Do you believe what God says? Well, have 
you confessed your sins? "Yes, I confessed them in 
tears and sorrow." Have you forsaken them? A great 
many fail right here and begin to dodge. You must 
quit them, so that if any one asks you if you have for- 
saken your sins you can say, yes. When you have con- 
fessed and forsaken your sins God has promised to have 
mercy upon you. Take him at his Word, and peace will 
come to your soul. This is the simple way to get saved. 

Sanctification, as far as the doctrine is concerned, 
is just as simple as this. You will become conscious 
after you have been converted that there is a self within 
you that oppose the holiness of God. Paul calls it, "the 
sin that dwelleth in me." Set about it at once to sub- 
mit yourself to the whole will of God, and when you 
can say as Jesus said, "Not my will, but thine, be done," 
you are consecrated. Then exercise faith in the prom- 
ise of God and the Holy Ghost will come into your 
heart. The human will must be active to meet God's 
will, and faith must claim the promise. Let me tell 
you another thing, this definite act of getting sanctified 
is not enough. I think sometimes that we put too much 
stress on the definite act of the will in getting sanctified 
and not enough on the abiding purpose to keep the will 
always in that position. 

SOME DIFFICULTIES. 

There are some difficulties that confront people both 



HOW TO GET SANCTIFIED. 29 

before and after they receive the experience. One will 
ask, "What if such and such a thing comes up; what 
about my feelings?" As long as you keep your will 
perfect in the sight of God your faith will work easily 
and the Holy Ghost will abide in your soul. We still 
have our feelings after we get sanctified and they are 
not always pleasant. Jesus suffered when he was 
tempted and so it is with us. When we are tempted and 
tried we do not feel it about two feet away from us, 
but the battle goes on right down in our hearts. It is 
not a struggle against self and carnality. When we 
have met Bible conditions we may be sure that our sal- 
vation does not depend upon how we feel about it, but 
upon what God says about it. It is our happy privi- 
lege to feel the way we believe instead of believing the 
way we feel. 

But one may say, "If I consecrate and get sanctified 
I am quite sure that sometime later on I will see things 
deeper than ever before and my present consecration 
will prove faulty." Of course, this is the way it will 
be if you consecrate simply to items and particulars 
instead of to the will of God. Perhaps you have at- 
tended a meeting where a minister preached on sancti- 
fication. You say, "Oh, I never saw that so deep be- 
fore." Then what? The enemy says, "You had better 
go down and consecrate over again." You will be fool- 
ish if you da, for you will have to get the same thing. 
If our sanctification depends upon the amount of 
light we have and upon the depth of our compre- 
hension then we can never be settled in the experience. 
There is something definite and perfect about consecra- 
tion and there is also something progressive. We make 
a perfect surrender to the will of God when we first 
get sanctified, and then, as the light increases and our 
comprehension of God's will deepens, we simply walk 
in the advanced light. It is the attitude of the heart 



30 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

toward God and not the amount of light we have that 
determines our standing. If we must get down and seek 
the experience of sanctification every meeting we get 
into; simply because God sheds more light upon our 
hearts than we had before, then we will become dis- 
couraged, not knowing when we dare claim the promise 
of God; hence our title to the experience will be shift- 
ing continually, leaving our hearts without rest and 
peace. Today I see consecration deeper and broader 
than I ever saw it before in my life, but my con- 
secration and inward submission of heart is no more 
perfect than it was the hour I first obtained the ex- 
perience. 

Some are always looking back and condemning their 
past life in their present light. I used to think and 
say and do many things in my zeal that I could not feel 
clear in doing at the present time, but I did the best I 
knew then. We learn as we go along, and it is a dan- 
gerous thing to become so stereotyped that we can not 
improve in our lives for fear of spoiling our sanctifica- 
tion. Any profession that binds a person up so tightly 
that he does not dare to see and acknowledge his mis- 
takes is not the Bible kind. There is plenty of room 
for growth and cultivation after we have received the 
experience, and we must leave room for the growth. If 
we attempt to obtain in a definite experience all that 
is comprehended in a life of development after we get 
sanctified, we make a sad mistake. 

You know there are some folks who are continually 
dissatisfied and wanting to "do it all over again." Do 
you suppose that President Wilson knew as much about 
his responsibility the 4th of last March as he does at 
this time? He certainly knows more about his respon- 
sibility at present and feels it more keenly than he did 
then. Suppose he should say to his cabinet: "This 
is a bigger thing than I thought it was and I see that 



HOW TO GET SANCTIFIED. 31 

it means more than I comprehended at the time; I think 
I shall have to be inaugurated over again." That would 
be foolish, would it not? Suppose a young man has 
entered the navy. Perhaps he never dreamed of the 
things he would have to pass through. By and by, when 
he has been there five months, he sees how much it 
means. He goes to the captain and says, "I am sorry, 
but I see this is more than I expected; suppose we go 
back to New York City and there let me enlist over 
again." This is the way many have done regarding 
their Christian experience. It is just as foolish for 
you to go back and do the thing all over again if you 
really met Bible conditions at the first; you need simply 
to walk in advanced light. 

CONFIDENCE NECESSARY. 

Another thing, brethren: It becomes easier to make 
a consecration if we have just a little faith along with it. 
A brother at a certain camp-meeting was seeking sancti- 
fication. When he thought of the martyrs, and that he 
also might have to go through much suffering, he shrank 
and his soul was in trouble. He thought if he should 
be burned at the stake it would be more than he could 
stand. He went out and walked about in agony until 
these words flashed upon his mind, "By the grace of 
God I can." Then he saw the grace of God greater 
than all the stakes he could imagine. His faith in God's 
promises to help him made it look possible for him to 
go through, so he made his consecration with full as- 
surance that God's grace would always be sufficient. If 
you endeavor to make a consecration for sanctification 
without taking God into consideration, you will die in 
discouragement. When you come to the Lord, just re- 
member that he will help you to do everything he has 
commanded you to do. If you have this down in your 
soul you have something better than all the gold and sil- 



32 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

ver in this world, and the following hymn expresses the 
feelings of your heart: 

1 ' O sweet will of God, thou hast girded me round, 
Like the deep moving currents that girdle the sea; 
With omnipotent love is my poor nature bound, 
And this bondage to love sets me perfectly free. 

"For years my soul wrestled with vague discontent, 
That like a sad angel overshadowed my soul, 
God's light in the soul with the darkness was blent. 
And my heart ever longed for an unclouded day. 

' ' And now I have flung myself recklessly out, 

Like a chip on the stream of the Infinite Will; 
1 pass the rough rocks with a smile and a shout, 
And I just let my God his dear purpose fulfil. 

"Forever I choose the good will of my God, 
Its holy deep riches to love and to know; 
The serfdom of love to so sweeten the rod, 
That its touch maketh rivers of honey to flow. 

"Roll on, checkered seasons, bring smiles or bring fears, 
My soul sweetly sails on an infinite tide; 
1 shall soon touch the shores of eternity's years, 
And near the white throne of my Savior abide. 

"Hallelujah! hallelujah! my soul is set free! 
For the precious blood of Jesus cleanse th even me." 

One says, "I would not be afraid to let God have his 
way with me if I only knew what he would ask of me in 
the future." All, that betrays a lack of confidence in 
God. God is an unfailing friend, one who is full of 
wisdom, and you should not fear to trust him to guide 
your frail bark over the sea of life. He loves you and 
you can not do a better thing than to put your whole 
heart into his will, take your hands off and let him 
have his own way with you. My soul is happy in Jesus 
today because I am letting him have his way with me. 
This is a sweet life, indeed. We must have faith in 



HOW TO GET SANCTIFIED. 33 

God's promises, in his love and in his goodness; faith 
in his power to help and keep us, and that his demands 
are reasonable. Oh, if you only knew how good it is 
to be in the full will of God ! Do not be afraid to trust 
him, he understands all about you. Do not fear that 
you can not please him. He is not a hard taskmaster. 
You are undeserving of his love and mercy and you do 
not merit a single smile, but through his Son Jesus 
Christ he has made you welcome to all the good things 
of heaven. He is not only the great Creator of the uni- 
verse but he is also the tender Father of your soul. 
Give up your all to him, trust his unfailing promise, and 
enter into rest. 

* god's part. 

Just a few words in conclusion relative to God's part. 
"When your soul the perfect price has paid God will 
send the Holy fire." He will give you the Holy Ghost. 
In Luke 11: 13 we read, "If ye then, being evil, know 
how to give good gifts unto your children: how much 
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit 
to them that ask him?" If you are willing to give your 
hungry child a piece of bread, then remember God is 
more willing to give you the Holy Ghost. How will- 
ing are you to give your child a piece of bread? "Well," 
you say, "I am so willing that I can not express it." 
God is more willing than that. When you are asking 
the Lord for the Holy Ghost, come with the full as- 
surance that you will receive what you ask for; but be 
sure first that you have met Bible conditions. Remem- 
ber also that the Holy Ghost is a personality, not merely 
an abstract principle. This work that God does in the 
heart by his Spirit cleanses it from the last and least 
remains of sin, making it pure even as Christ is pure, 
and imparting power to the soul to please God well 
in all things. Have you received this experience? 



34 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

If not, then seek it at once, for now is the accepted 
time. 



THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE. 35 

The Spirit-Filled Life. 

In the Auditorium, Friday afternoon, June 6, 
by W. J. Henry. 

"Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be 
filled with the Spirit." Eph. 5: 18. 

Dear friends, I bring you a message today that to 
my mind is one of the most important in all the Word 
of God. There never was a time in the history of Chris- 
tianity when there was such a great lack of spirituality 
among the mass of Christian professors as there is 
today; and there is such a great demand for Spirit-filled 
men and women to lift up Christ by a godly life, and 
to carry the gospel to many souls who are longing for 
the truth and right, and who are disgusted with for- 
mality. These people can be reached only by the power 
of God manifested in the lives of his children. As Jesus 
said, in John 4 : 23, "The hour cometh, and now is, when 
the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit 
and in truth." 

God was with Luther when he preached those ser- 
mons on faith that shook the world and struck a deadly 
blow to Romanism. He was with the Wesleys in the 
great holiness reform; but there came a time when the 
people of those reformations lost out spiritually and 
they began to compromise the truth, and conform to the 
world. God forsook them and their fall should be a 
warning to us. 

We are now living in the greatest reformation the 
world has known since the apostles' days; and there 
are three features prominent in this reformation. First, 
it stands for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing 
but the truth; second, it teaches the unity of God's 
people; third, it fellowships only a Spirit-filled people. 

We are living in the Holy Spirit dispensation, and 
everything done in this age that will stand the test of 



36 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

time or pass the judgment must bear the stamp of the 
Holy Spirit. 

The gospel was given by inspiration of God. The 
natural man can not discern it; but "when he the Spirit 
of truth is come he will guide you into all truth." The 
Spirit of God only can instruct us properly in these pre- 
cious truths, and the Spirit-filled soul only can truly 
feast on the precious treasures hidden therein. This 
is the reason why the Word of God is stale to the for- 
mal, but precious to the spiritual. 

HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTION. 

No man can come to Jesus except God by his Spirit 
draw him. The Spirit will accompany the preaching 
of the Word and reprove men of sin, and of righteous- 
ness, and of judgment; and men under this kind of in- 
fluence today, will be pricked in their hearts and made 
to crv out, Men and brethren, what must we do to be 
saved? Without the work of the Spirit of God in our 
efforts, men will never be brought to Christ. Oh, for 
more old-time conviction ! 

BIRTH OF THE SPIRIT. 

In John 1:1-5 Jesus tells us that unless we are born 
of the Spirit we can not see the kingdom of God. Right 
here is one of the great danger points of life. Salva- 
tion is not a mere reformation but a work of regenera- 
tion wrought in the heart and life by the power of the 
Holy Ghost. Much religious work today is only an 
outward reformation and but little of the old-time kind 
that changes the heart. What the people really need 
is not merely reformation, but regeneration, being born 
of God by his Spirit. No man can get saved till he is 
first brought under conviction by the Holy Spirit. And 
a man can not preach the gospel successfully to get 
men under conviction unless his preaching is under the 



THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE. 37 

Spirit's anointing. If we tarry before God until we 
get our messages fresh from the throne we will see 
more souls saved — not merely reformed on the outside, 
but regenerated, born again, made new creatures. This, 
and this only^ will put a stop to sin in their lives. 

When souls are seeking for salvation, we need to 
have wisdom in instructing them, that they will get the 
real experience and not come out with a mere profession. 
Do not get in a hurry ; do not talk or sing them through ; 
let them pray through. Do not urge them to believe 
till they are on believing ground. Whenever they meet 
the conditions of God's Word they will get the experi- 
ence that their souls desire. Then the Holy Spirit will 
witness to their hearts that they are saved, and the 
angels in heaven will rejoice over a new-born babe. 
There is too much formality in most altar work. Oh, 
for more real Holy Ghost conviction and regeneration. 

The very moment a soul is born of the Spirit there 
will spring up in his heart a love for God, for his Word, 
for his people, and for all men, that he has never felt 
before. All malice, envy, hatred, and anger will be 
gone; and he will then love his worst enemy and freely 
forgive him, and if he had the power would gladly carry 
him in his arms to the Savior he has found. Anything 
short of this spiritual experience is short of salvation. 
There is no other way. You must be born of the Spirit. 

SANCTIFICATION BY THE HOLY GHOST. 

In Rom. 15:16 we read that we are sanctified by 
the Holy Ghost. No man is ever sanctified unless the 
Holy Ghost puts his seal upon him; and the work must 
be real, the consecration must be complete, or God will 
never accept it. It is not merely a profession of sanc- 
tification, or simply a hoping or believing we are sanc- 
tified, but a real definite experience, that will stand the 
tests of life and prepare us for heaven. This can only 



38 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

be obtained by a genuine act of consecration on our 
part, and the operation of the Holy Ghost on God's 
part. 

"When thy soul the perfect price has paid, 
God will send the holy fire. " 

Your heart will be made clean from selfishness and 
every unholy desire, and filled with the love of God. 
Then and there only can you love the Lord with all 
your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your 
mind, and with all your strength, and your neighbor as 
yourself. Every sanctified man in this world is in love 
with God and in love with all his children. 

SPIRITUAL FELLOWSHIP. 

This experience produces that spiritual fellowship 
spoken of by Paul in his letter to the Philippians, chapter 
2, verse 1. The Holy Ghost in us will produce fellow- 
ship, not a doctrinal, or party, or sectarian fellowship; 
but the fellowship of the Spirit. Our hearts will flow 
together as one, or as it was said of the saints of old, 
we will be all of one heart and one soul. Whenever 
sanctified men meet each other there is a blending of 
spirits and they are one; they have fellowship with each 
other. This fellowship of the Spirit brings all God's 
people into the unity of the faith. 

But the unity of the Spirit comes first and is the most 
important. I would much rather have the fellowship 
of the Spirit with a man, and yet not be in perfect fel- 
lowship or unity of faith, than to have the mere unity 
of faith and not the unity of Spirit. There are some 
who will fellowship a man because he looks all right 
on the outside or because they agree in belief; but just 
mere outward change of dress or belief does not put 
you into fellowship with the people of God. I say 
again, it takes the Holy Spirit to produce true fellow- 
ship. And the only way to keep in fellowship and 



THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE. 39 

unity with the people of God is to keep filled with the 
Spirit of God. We can not keep the unity of the Spirit 
if we do not possess the Spirit. 

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. 

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuf- 
fering, gentleness, goodness, faith, temperance. These 
are the natural results of a Spirit-filled life, the product 
of the heart filled with the Spirit of God. We will have 
no trouble in living for God and producing the right 
kind of fruit if we live spiritual; but if we lose out 
spiritually, the first thing we know the works of the 
flesh will be on exhibition. Some may appear quite 
well on Sunday, or once in a while; but to live for God 
seven days in the week we must keep our hearts filled 
with the Spirit. 

A HOLY GHOST CHURCH. 

The church of God is not made up of a people who 
are mere professors ; but it is a spiritual institution, con- 
sisting of spiritual people. We do not get into the 
church by the right hand of fellowship, or by water 
baptism. We do not join the church of God. The 
preacher does not take us in, nor does the congregation 
vote us in. We might get into some religious denomi- 
nation that way; but there is only one way to get into 
the church of God, and that is by being born of the 
Spirit of God. "For by one Spirit are we all bap- 
tized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, 
whether we be bond or free; and have been all made 
to drink into one Spirit." 1 Cor. 12:13. There may 
be people who profess to be in the church and who may 
go along with the people of God, and who either have 
never had or have lost the Spirit of God; but they are 
really not in the church. As Paul says in Rom. 8 : 9, 
14, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is 



40 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

none of his ; * * * "For as many as are led by the Spirit 
of God, they are the sons of God." Every individual 
member of the church is a spiritual member. "Ye also, 
as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy 
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable 
to God by Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. 2:5. Our preaching, 
our songs, our prayers, yea, all our worship must be 
spiritual to be acceptable to God. Formality may do 
in sects but can have no part in the church of God. 
For "ye also are builded together for an habitation of 
God through the Spirit." Eph. 2:22. 

A SPIRIT-FILLED MINISTRY. 

After Jesus gave his disciples the commission to go 
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every 
creature (Mark 16:15), he commanded them to tarry 
at Jerusalem till they were endued with power from 
on high (Luke 24:49). He also told them that they 
should receive power after that the Holy Ghost had 
come upon them. (Acts 1 : 28.) This they did just as 
Jesus had commanded them; and in Acts 2:1-4 we read 
that they received "and were all filled with the Holy 
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the 
Spirit gave them utterance." 

In the apostolic church only Spirit-filled men were 
used as preachers, and, beloved, I am persuaded that if 
God had his way such only would preach today. In the 
ministry there is nothing so necessary as being filled 
with the Spirit. The world is tired of dead, formal 
preaching; but many are ready to receive the old-time 
salvation when it is presented in the power and demon- 
stration of the Spirit. 

Simply to have a knowledge of the Word of God and 
a good degree of natural ability is not sufficient. God 
is able to take a dish-washer, a chambermaid, a plow- 
boy, or a blacksmith, that is filled with the power of 



THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE. 41 

God, and use such a one much more to his glory, than 
the greatest educated or talented man void of the Spirit. 

A preacher filled with the Holy Ghost will never 
willingly compromise the Word of God; he will neither 
let down nor let up; he will neither be too narrow nor 
too broad; he will neither be too loose nor too exacting. 
There is nothing that so tends to keep us well balanced 
and in the middle of the road as the Spirit experience. 
Just now we are passing between too great dangers — 
fanaticism on one side and worldly conformity on the 
other. Both of these are the result of formality, and 
the best and only sure protection is more of God's 
Spirit in our hearts. With it we will not go far to the 
right nor to the left till we will hear a voice behind us, 
saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it." 

We need more wisdom, but we must be sure that it 
is the kind that comes down from heaven, the kind that 
will make us wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 
We need to lay aside everything in our preaching that 
hinders souls from receiving gospel truth, and preach 
only the pure unadulterated gospel truth with the Holy 
Ghost power that will melt the hearts of the hearers. 
The world is no more of a friend to genuine salvation 
now than it was in the days of the apostles, I for one 
have decided to preach nothing for which I do not 
have a "thus saith the Lord." Beloved, the Holy Ghost 
will put His seal on every sentence of truth that He 
would have us to present. And such preaching will 
never make division among the people of God. 

God wants us to do our duty in preaching the Word. 
If we will not do our duty, precious souls will be hin- 
dered from getting saved. The truth will never be over- 
thrown. The truth has come to stay. The sun shall 
go down no more; the apostasy has passed. The world 
once more sees the gospel truth that was hidden for 
ages. But if .we are not careful individually we will 



42 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

lose our spirituality, become cold and formal, and while 
this glorious reformation goes on to eternal victory we 
will be left behind. We need to get more knowledge, 
more wisdom; we need to get nearer to each other and 
nearer to our fellowmen; but above all, as ministers of 
God, we need to get closer to him and be filled more 
with the Holy Ghost. 

THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT. 

In 1 Cor. 12:1-13 we have the different spiritual 
gifts mentioned; and in the last verse of the chapter 
we are told to covet earnestly the best gifts. Now all 
these gifts are in the body of Christ, the church; but 
we must remember that they are only given to spiritual 
men and women, imparted to each member by the Spirit 
of God as he wills and as he sees we can use to the 
edifying of the body of Christ. The one great reason 
today why these gifts are not more often manifested 
is the great lack of spirituality among the professed 
Christian people. The more spiritual we become the 
more these gifts will be manifested, and the less spir- 
itual we live the less they will be manifested. And 
again, God will never give these gifts to us to exalt self 
or to advertise men. The man possessed with these gifts 
will feel like hiding himself, but exalting Christ. That 
spirit that puts self on exhibition and causes people to 
be carried away with self to the ignoring of others, is 
not of God, but comes from the wrong source, and will 
result sooner or later in the downfall of man and in the 
reproach of the cause of God. Beloved, if we would 
be used of God and stay in line with his people we must 
keep humble and filled with his Spirit. 

WALK IN THE SPIRIT. 

In Gal. 5: 16 we read, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye 
shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." Of late I have 



THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE. 43 

been so forcibly struck with the import of this text. A 
similar one is found in Rom. 8 : 1 — "There is therefore 
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, 
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Be- 
loved, we will have no trouble in keeping out of sin so 
long as we keep in the Spirit. We will not want to dress 
like the world or partake of their ungodly pleasures. 
The more spiritual we become the farther we will be sepa- 
rated from the world, and the easier it will be to live 
as God would have us live. Salvation does not destroy 
human nature or individuality; and after we are saved 
we will find weaknesses in our humanity which, with- 
out the grace of God, would soon drag us down again 
into sin. 

We need to be strengthened daily with might by his 
Spirit in the inner man, so that when the enemy comes 
in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a 
standard against him. Jesus said, "Without me ye can 
do nothing." John 1:5. Paul says, "I can do all 
things through Christ which strengthened me." So if 
we would be strong in the Lord and in the power of 
his might we must keep filled with the Spirit. 

I pray God to bless our hearts today and to so fill 
us with his Spirit that our songs, and prayers, and ser- 
mons, and testimonies, shall be freighted with the power 
of God; and that he will mightily use us in every way 
possible to herald this glorious truth to the ends of the 
world, till all men shall know of the power of God 
to save to the uttermost. Thus may he find us labor- 
ing together when he comes to receive us to himself. 



44 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



Salvation. 

In the Auditorium, Friday evening, June 6, 
by I. S. McCoy. 

I want to talk to you tonight upon the most import- 
ant of all subjects; namely, that of being saved. That 
you may more easily understand, I have summed up 
my thoughts under three heads: 1st, Salvation obtain- 
able; 2d, Salvation desirable; 3d, Salvation valuable. 

SALVATION OBTAINABLE. 

The text that introduces my first thought you will 
find in 1 Thess. 5:9. "For God hath not appointed us 
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who died for us." Wonderful thought! You 
can be saved. Salvation is obtainable; it has been 
brought within your easy reach. Let me cite to you 
some strong reasons I have for saying so. 

First, Peter tells us that God is not willing that any 
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 
Now surely, this includes you. Here we have a golden 
thread which has been interwoven throughout the entire 
fabric of Bible truth. Think of it! "Not willing that 
any should perish." This means you; not willing that 
you should perish. If this be true, then you can be 
saved. Eternity-bound soul, take courage; you can be 
saved. Fellow-traveler to the bar of eternal justice, 
you can be saved. It is Heaven's decree; it is the will 
of God; it is guaranteed to you by the united testimony 
of his unfailing Word. Oh, will you believe it! Let 
not the wickedness of your past life, neither the un- 
holiness of your present surroundings, nor yet the dark 
shadow of the future cast you down. You can be 
saved; our text declares it. There is hope for 
you. 



SALVATION. 45 

Let me point you to still another reason why I be- 
lieve this. Listen while I read: "For the Son of man 
is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Now 
surely there is a chance for you; not only a saving, but 
a seeking Savior has been provided. Think of it ! From 
the time you committed your first sin up until tonight, 
a Savior has been seeking for you. This being true, 
then you are a sought-for sinner, for whom all Heaven 
has been looking — a sinner who can be saved if you 
will to be. Up till tonight God has done all that he 
could do to get you out of sin into his kingdom. He has 
employed every method; he has resorted to every means 
possible; he has impressed you from every standpoint, 
and he is calling still. Listen! "Behold I stand at the 
door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the 
door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and 
he with me." Rev. 3 : 20. 

SALVATION DESIRABLE. 

We now come to the second thought in our lesson 
tonight; that of salvation being desirable. You will 
all agree with me that the Christian life is the best 
life. If there were no heaven to gain and no hell to 
escape, the life of the saint is desirable above that of 
the sinner. First, it is a life of satisfaction. The 
things of the world do not satisfy, but salvation satis- 
fies. Listen! "For the Lord satisfieth the longing soul 
and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." Outside 
of Christ your search for satisfaction is vain. Only 
God can satisfy the cravings of your soul. If for no 
other reason than this, then salvation is desirable. But, 
there are other reasons. Salvation offers you a better 
way to die. I was thinking today of the difference in 
the way some have died. Did you ever think of this? 
Do you remember how Stephen died; how when sur- 
rounded by a blood-thirsty mob, he saw heaven opened 



46 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

and Jesus sitting at the right hand of God? Paul was 
"ready to be offered." His desire to depart and be 
with Christ was about to be granted. Blessed way 
to die! He had fought a good fight. He had kept the 
faith, he was assured af a crown of righteous- 
ness. 

But, listen; on the other hand, we have before us the 
miserable dying of Herod, being eaten of worms; 
Judas Iscariot hanging himself that he might go to his 
own place. What a difference! And this difference is 
all due to the fact that some were saved, while others 
were not. Paul had found the salvation which is in 
Christ Jesus with eternal glory, and he was now about 
to share it forever with him. Stephen died as he had 
lived — full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. Now, will 
you not agree with me when I say that salvation is 
desirable, viewed from this light? 

But, again, salvation is desirable because it offers you 
a better place at the final judgment, when the dead, 
small and great, shall stand before God; when this 
world will be wrapped in one great winding sheet of 
judgment fire; when flaming skies bespeak the coming 
of Christ in all his glory; when the earth begins to 
totter and reel like a drunkard; when sinners begin to 
cry for rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide 
them from the face of Him who sitteth on the throne. 
O sinner friend, let me appeal to you. Salvation offers 
you a better position at this time than sin. If you are 
saved you will have a place at God's right hand. Your 
name will be in his book; you will hear him say, "Come, 
ye blessed of my Father," and it will mean you. If you 
neglect salvation while you live, if you die in your sins, 
you will be on the left hand. You will wish that you 
had never been born; you will sink into eternal night, 
lost to hope, to heaven, and to God; lost, lost, lost, for- 
ever. Oh, fearful thought ! Oh, depths of woe eternal ! 



SALVATION. 47 

Blackness of darkness impenetrable! O my friends, 
salvation offers you something better at the judgment 
than this. 

But let us not stop here. Salvation is desirable be- 
cause of what it offers you beyond the judgment. Lis- 
ten to the words of Jesus: "I go to prepare a place 
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will 
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I 
am, there ye may be also." This is heaven itself, and 
is offered to you if you are saved. Thank God, you 
can be saved. Salvation is obtainable; you can live 
right; you can die right; you can gain heaven and im- 
mortal glory in the end. 

SALVATION VALUABLE. 

I come to my last thought — Salvation valuable. Gen- 
erally speaking, the value of a thing is rated by its 
cost. There are some things that cost more than they 
are worth, and their value is not to be rated by their 
cost, but it is not so with salvation. You may be a 
beggar, a pauper; you may be shunned and despised 
on every hand, but thank God, you can be saved; you 
can have in your actual possession the priceless gift 
of God's salvation. You can possess the riches of his 
grace; you may enjoy the riches of his glory; you may 
own the pearl of great price. For though he were rich, 
yet he became poor, that we through his poverty might 
be made rich. There are some very good and valuable 
things in this world — good homes, good farms, and good 
businesses, and all that; but none of them are good 
enough to take along when we come to die. We brought 
nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can 
carry nothing out. Listen to this: "For godliness is 
profitable unto all things, having promise of the life 
that now is, and of that which is to come." Halleluiah ! 
Surely then you will agree with me that it is a val- 



48 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

uable thing to be saved. Yes, my friends, you can sing 
with the poet: 

' ' I 'm richer than any millionaire, 
A thousand times and more; 
A priceless treasure I have found; 
An everlasting store. ' ' 

And now, in conclusion, you can know that you are 
saved; you can have a present knowledge of that fact; 
God will let you know it. He that believeth hath the 
witness in him. 'His Spirit beareth witness with our 
spirit that we are the children of God.' In this sal- 
vation is valuable. You can have a present knowledge 
of your acceptance with God. Yes, beloved, you can 
know that you are his as well as you know that you 
live. Now, will you be saved? It remains with you 
to say. God wills it; do you? It is desirable; it offers 
you God's best in time and in eternity. Its value can 
not be computed. Oh, will you have it? Will you de- 
cide tonight? May God give you the courage is my 
prayer. Amen. 






AN INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 49 



An Introductory Address. 

Address to Ministers in Chapel, Saturday morning-, June 7. 
by E. E. Byrum. 

By the blessings of the Lord we are assembled here 
this morning as a body of ministers and gospel workers 
of the church of God. As "laborers together with him/' 
or the salvation of souls, we have come from the East 
and from the West, from the North and from the South. 
Some have come hundreds, yes, thousands of miles in 
order to attend this camp-meeting and enjoy the bless- 
ings that we shall have the privilege of enjoying dur- 
ing the ten days of refreshing from the presence of the 
Lord. We greet you in Jesus' name and extend a cor- 
dial welcome to all. 

Permit me to call your attention to the last commis- 
sion that our Lord gave to his ministers. After the 
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he appeared unto 
his disciples, and said unto them, "Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the gospel to every creature." He 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he 
that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs 
shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they 
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they 
shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly 
thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on 
the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16:15-18. 
This was the last commission that Jesus gave his dis- 
ciples, and I believe that it is the commission that we 
have today. God wants his ministers to go forth with 
jusf; such a commission of power, and authority. The 
Word says, "So then after the Lord had spoken unto 
them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the 
right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached 
everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirm- 



50 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

ing the Word with signs following"; thus doing just 
exactly what he told them to do. That is what he wants 
us to do today. I am glad to know that it is being done, 
but I trust that this meeting will be such that every 
one present will become so filled and enthused with 
the Spirit and power of God that these things will be 
done much more often in the future than in times past. 

Aside from the preaching and the ministering of the 
Word, there is much to be done on these grounds. Some 
have come more than one thousand miles to get help to 
their souls and to get healing, and some to be delivered 
from the power of the devil. I have had letters from 
a number of people from a distance who were desirous 
of receiving help on various lines, and I find that they 
are here for that purpose. Yesterday a man came to 
me and said he knew nothing about the camp-meeting 
until his arrival in Anderson. He had heard that there 
was a people here who taught healing of the body, and 
felt that God was sending him to the city. He said, "I 
felt impelled to come, and I know that God sent me 
here. It just seemed as if I could not stay away. I 
am a Christian minister. My life depends upon getting 
help from God." He had been afflicted, and when asked 
about working for God and doing what God requires he 
said, "I am ready to do anything; ready to walk in the 
light of God's Word." He remained for the services 
yesterday and was prayed for. And there are quite 
a number of others who have come seeking help in like 
manner. We should be where we can fulfil the Word 
of God, and be of the greatest possible benefit to such 
people. 

Several persons have told me that they never had been 
at a camp-meeting where there seemed to be a sweeter 
spirit prevailing. I believe that God has brought us 
together here that we might have a wonderful and pow- 
erful meeting in the name of the Lord, that the signs 



AN INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 51 

and wonders may follow. It will take real trueness 
to God. I believe God has ministers here that will 
preach the Word just as it was given by the Lord Jesus 
and his apostles. 

It has been rumored that something was going to 
come in and make division in the meeting. The one 
who brings in division is going to be responsible for a 
great many souls being lost. I believe the Word will 
be preached in all its power and purity; and instead of 
there being division among brethren, it will bring them 
together. Anything that tends to work division by un- 
necessarily bringing in something for an agitation, needs 
to be rebuked. Let us be true to God. 

We may expect opposition from the world and at 
some time may suffer persecution like the apostles, but 
that is not going to keep us from doing the will of 
God. None of us have ever had to go to the stake or 
to give up our lives for Christ's sake, but in times past 
they did. At one time in my travels I saw a brother 
who went to the stake. He was taken, his feet and 
hands tied and fastened to the stake. Somebody ran 
for the oil, some one else for matches, and some for 
one thing and some for another; and they were just 
ready to pour the oil on him and strike the match to set 
fire to him when God delivered him. I talked with the 
man and learned something about how God delivered 
him. While that mob was gathered around him and 
about to apply the oil and match, God sent a couple of 
men there who took their canes, and in the name of 
the Lord demanded his release. The cords were soon 
loosed and the man was freed. He may let some of us 
go further than that. He may let our lives be taken. 
What we want is to get where we can be of help to 
some souls even if we have to suffer some of these 
things. 

In some countries the persecutions are so great that 



52 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

the gospel is preached under adverse circumstances and 
with great difficulty the children of God assemble for 
public worship. It is quite different in this country, 
where we can go from place to place and preach the 
Word with freedom, and go home without feeling dis- 
turbed. There are, however, some places, even in our 
home land, where severe persecutions must be endured. 
I have been where the lives of some of the brethren 
were in danger if they undertook to go home after a 
night meeting. At one place a mob fired revolvers on 
the door-step during services and threw a large stone, 
bursting the door open; and afterwards they burned the 
house of worship. Camp-meetings are sometimes dis- 
turbed by violent mobs, but we do not anticipate any- 
thing of the kind here. 

People sometimes come to an assembly of this kind 
under great discouragement and are subject to trials 
and temptations over very trivial matters, because they 
are not looked after as they think they should be. One 
hundred and seventy-five persons have been detailed 
to take care of those in attendance from the time they 
arrive at the depot until they leave at the close of the 
meeting. All the workers know their places. They are 
supposed to render the best possible service, and are 
working diligently to that end; yet some who come 
may not be cared for as they should be on account of 
the great number of people present. There being sev- 
eral hundred ministers and gospel workers present, if 
all are active, the people will not only be properly cared 
for in a temporal way, but will also receive the neces- 
sary personal attention in regard to their spiritual 
needs. 

I do not know who is going to preach during these 
meetings. I do not care, just so God has his way. Let 
us see to it that he does have his way. When I go to 
a camp-meeting, I go to get help for myself and to help 



AN INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 58 

my brethren. Of course, it is a nice thing to sit and 
listen day after day, but it is also a good thing to help 
others. 

We ought to be strong and bold for the Lord, ready 
to encourage those who are in need of help. Let us 
help the weak and if we are not as strong as we should 
be, let us try to get the necessary strength during the 
meeting. I believe we can all be strong. Let us do 
much praying. May the blessings of the Lord be upon 
you all. 



54 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



The Preacher in Demand. 

Address to Ministers in Chapel, Saturday morning, June 7, 
by H. M. Higgle. Following- the Address by E. E. Byrum. 

We all know that there is a great demand for preach- 
ers. I believe this demand was never greater than now. 
It comes from the local fields, the general field; in fact, 
from the whole world. From every nation we hear the 
Macedonian cry, "Come over and help us." The demand 
is greater than the supply. I am not exaggerating when 
I tell you that I have more calls pouring in from every 
side than fifty preachers could fill. The fields are ripe 
to harvest. Souls are going to destruction, and they 
need the saving truth. We are all conscious of this 
great demand, but I wish to dwell upon the kind in de- 
mand. Some preachers are in great demand, while others 
are very little in demand, and still others are not in de- 
mand at all. There is a reason. 

CLEAN CHARACTER AND LIFE. 

The kind of preachers in demand in the general field 
are men and women of clean character and life. The 
preacher who fails to make a straight path through life, 
to walk clean before the world, is not fit to stand be- 
hind the sacred desk, and bear this pure gospel to the 
people. The work needs and demands a clean min- 
istry. The preacher with a clean record behind him, is 
the only one needed today — a preacher who can say like 
Paul to the world and church every place he has labored, 
"Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, 
and unblameably, we behaved ourselves among you." He 
not only preaches by precept, but by example. "Ye 
have us for an ensample." "As being ensamples to the 
flock." I once knew of a preacher who lived such a 
crooked life, that every time before he began his ser- 
mon, he would say to the people, "You do as I say, and 



THE PREACHER IN DEMAND. 55 

not as I do." You are not fit to represent this sacred 
and holy cause if such is your manner of life. Let me 
ask you, are you living such a clean life, both in secret 
and in public, that your example would be safe to 
follow? Have you complete victory in your soul, and 
over yourself? If not, quit preaching to others, until 
you are a complete victor. Preachers with clean lives 
and sterling pure characters, are always in demand. 

FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. 

The preacher in demand is one who lives under the 
Holy Spirit's anointing. A Spirit-filled ministry — such 
preachers are a "flaming fire," and live wires. They live 
in touch with God. They live where the veil between the 
natural and the spiritual and eternal is very thin. Such 
preachers carry with them a halo of God's presence and 
glory. You feel this when you come into their presence. 
A flower garden will scent your clothes with a sweet 
aroma. If you pass from a warm room into a cold one, 
you will carry the heat with you. Just so with the 
preacher anointed with the Holy Spirit's unction. He 
carries with him the power, inspiration, and glory of 
God. His sermons are filled with life and interest to 
both saint and sinner. There will be feeling in his 
words. Such a preacher is always in demand. 

WELL BALANCED. 

The need of the hour is a well-balanced ministry. A 
preacher who is always going to extremes, either one 
way or the other, is not in general demand, for his 
labors are not productive of unity and peace in the 
church. 

HAVING A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. 

The minister in demand is a person with a good knowl- 
edge of the truth. The gospel message is an intelligent 



56 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

one. It should be delivered in an intelligent manner. It 
will be well to take heed to the Apostle's advice — "Study- 
to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that 
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of 
truth." The great need of the times is an efficient min- 
istry, preachers with a deep knowledge of the Word of 
Truth. We should know the Bible thoroughly. We should 
make it our daily study; yes, make it our life-study. 
Paul said, "Give attention to reading." Preaching 
means more than reading portions of the Scripture to the 
people. Most any one can arrange a large number of 
Scriptural texts, and then read them to a public as- 
sembly. To preach means to expound the Word of God. 
God calls and qualifies his ministers to explain and teach 
the truth to the people. This is a gift of the Spirit, and 
it belongs to every true minister. You need not fear that 
you will acquire too much knowledge of the truth of 
the Bible. It is possible for men to get their heads filled 
with worldly wisdom, without the experience of the 
truth. Such preachers are dry and lifeless. But when 
it comes to a deep knowledge of the Bible, you need 
that. Both an intellectual, and an experimental knowl- 
edge of truth is essential. Study your text thoroughly. 
Under what conditions was it written? What were the 
circumstances connected with it? To whom was it first 
spoken, or written, and why? What application does 
it have to us today? Next give an analysis of the truths 
it contains. Such careful study will open to your mind 
and heart volumes of precious truth in a single text of 
Scripture, and as you deliver it, people will be enlight- 
ened, and edified. This is preaching. 

HAVING A MESSAGE. 

The preacher in demand is the preacher with a mes- 
sage. He has something to deliver. He should be filled 
with messages. These messages come from God. When 



THE PREACHER IN DEMAND. 57 

Paul stood before King Agrippa, he had an intelligent 
message to deliver. It appealed to the king. As he lis- 
tened, he was "almost persuaded to be a Christian." 
Persuasion comes from good, sound, logical argument 
and reasoning. Such argument to be effectual must be 
predicated upon facts and truths. An intelligent mes- 
sage will always interest the hearers. Again, when the 
great apostle stood on Mars Hill, in Athens, the great 
seat of learning in that age, he delivered a message of 
truth that was a masterpiece of intelligence. It proved 
that the speaker had a wide knowledge, and was well 
read. He had a hearing, and his message bore fruit. 
The gospel preacher has all classes of men to face: 
people from the lowest walks of life to the highest. His 
language and illustrations shouM therefore be simple 
and plain. He should not use "great swelling words of 
man's wisdom," but in simplicity preach the gospel. 
When the Lord gives us a message, I believe he will 
give us "mouth and wisdom" to deliver it intelligently. 
Some folks have plenty of mouth, but very little 
wisdom. 

A preacher with a fresh spiritual message is always 
in demand. A congregation is seated in a warm room on 
a sultry day, and some one comes down the aisle with an 
empty pail rattling by his side. That doesn't create 
much thirst. But let a person come in with a pail full 
of cool, sparkling water, and everybody wants a drink. 
Just so with the gospel preacher. Too many preachers 
are going up and down the land with empty pails. You 
need your pail full of good things for the people. The 
way to get replenished with a fresh supply is to go to 
the Chief Shepherd. Brethren in the ministry, if we 
expect to fill our place as we should, it will be necessary 
to go frequently to the Good Shepherd for a fresh 
supply. Have you not learned this secret? You will 
never run out of a fresh message. The supply is un- 



58 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

limited. Some good folks have a certain amount of ser- 
mons they have been grinding out for years, and they 
are stale to the church and to themselves. After they 
preach them out at one place, they migrate to another. 
In the four years I have been pastor of the church at 
Oakland, Pa., I have preached three hundred and thirty- 
two sermons to that assembly. My wife has preached 
over one hundred and sixty. If I remain there twenty 
years, and preach ten thousand sermons, I never expect 
to lack for a fresh message for every service. 

KIND OF EVANGELISTS NEEDED. 

The evangelist needed is the one who will stir up the 
spirit of revival in your assembly — the man or woman 
who wins souls to Christ, and is constructive in his work. 
A good evangelist will add to the assembly both in spir- 
ituality and numbers. The evangelist who goes to a con- 
gregation and independent of the pastor, threshes and 
pounds all the members to the altar, and leaves the as- 
sembly in a worse condition than when he came, had 
better seek other employment. It is easy to report a ten- 
day meeting where the devil was stirred. Why, any 
fool can stir the devil. This is not the work of an evan- 
gelist. He should build up and edify the body of Christ 
wherever he labors. Paul said, "The seal of mine apos- 
tleship are ye in the Lord." His ministry bore fruit. 
This fruit is what he pointed to as a proof of his call- 
ing. An evangelist is known by the fruit he bears. 

The evangelist needed today is not a man who is out 
for financial gain, but he is one who has the cause at 
heart, and feels the burden for lost souls. If you pur- 
posely arrange your line of meetings in churches where 
you expect good financial help, you are not pure in mo- 
tive, and not faithful to your calling. You can get as 
much financial help in most places in a ten-day meeting 
as you can in a five-weeks meeting. Jesus pointed to 



THE PREACHER IN DEMAND. 59 

the fact that "the poor have the gospel preached" as 
full proof of his Messiahship. Jesus simply began this 
ministry. You and I are to perpetuate it. Are you per- 
petuating this part of the sacred work, preaching the 
glad tidings to the poor? Would you go to a poor con- 
gregation with little outlook for financial help, as soon 
as to a rich one where the outlook is better in a financial 
way? Is it a passion for souls that has hold of you, op 
a passion for money? Be careful here. Don't farm the 
work for money. If you do, sooner or later God will 
call a halt. He will not always suffer this. Last sum- 
mer I held a five-weeks meeting, at the close of which 
I baptized fifty-five converts, and received but a few 
cents over $10.00. At the same time I had calls from 
places where I would have received in that time nearly 
$100.00. This may sound plain, but I drop this caution 
and warning. The work demands a ministry who are 
looking after the welfare of souls. I would rather hold 
but three or four meetings a year, and accomplish some- 
thing in the way of planting and establishing the work, 
than to travel from state to state holding ten-day meet- 
ings, and add little to the work in a definite way. 

KIND OF PASTORS IN DEMAND. 

The pastor in demand is the one who will give his 
whole time to the work. The man who works hard all 
week at secular employment in the mines, on the farm, 
in the shop, or in business, can not properly fill his 
place as a pastor of churches. To properly care for and 
feed an assembly takes time for much prayer and study. 
"Give thyself wholly to them." But one says, "I man- 
age to preach every Sunday. Isn't that doing pastoral 
work?" That is only one part of it. And to be success- 
ful your preaching must be of such a nature that it is 
fresh, spiritual, and real food to the assembly. They 
need variety of food the same as you need a variety of 



60 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

temporal food. If you ate nothing but potatoes for a 
whole year, I think you would get hungry for bread, or 
something else. So with our spiritual food. All lines 
of truth are needed. The pastor who keeps his congre- 
gation in a good spiritual condition, gets into their homes, 
visits them, or has others to do so, and enquires into 
their spiritual needs. He has prayer for them if there 
is any lack. If some one fails to attend meeting regu- 
larly, he inquires into the cause, and is there to encourage 
and help. Often he will find some discouraged, or pass- 
ing through deep trials, and others about to give up. He 
will pray and plead in tears with them, until they re- 
ceive the needed help and encouragement. This will 
take all his time. 

brethren, the work would increase and spread more 
rapidly if every church had such pastors. There would 
be fewer backsliders. It would be a good thing for pas- 
tors sometimes to hold a good old-fashioned revival meet- 
ing with their church, instead of sending off for an evan- 
gelist. The pastor should be a revivalist. He must keep 
in touch with his congregation, know their needs, yes, 
live on a plane with them. Such a pastor will always 
get a message to preach that meets the demands of the 
hour. He will be beloved of his congregation. A pas- 
tor that is constantly out of harmony with his people, 
having troubles that require frequent meetings, and out- 
side ministerial help to keep him adjusted to his assem- 
bly, is not living where the Lord requires. His labors 
are not effectual. A good pastor lives in harmony with 
his assembly. They honor and respect him. He can 
remain with them for years, and not wear out his wel- 
come. The pastor in demand is the one who wears 
well. He endears himself to his flock until they have 
him in their hearts, and he has them in his heart. 

1 pray God to help us all to be good ministers of 
Jesus Christ, and so fill our places in this sacred work 



THE PREACHER IN DEMAND. 61 

that we will belong to the class of preachers that are 
always in demand. 



62 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Evidences of Salvation. 

In the Auditorium, Saturday morning-, June 7, 
by H. M. Riggle. 

"And we know that we are of God, and the whole 
world lieth in wickedness." 1 John 5:19. "Now we 
have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit 
which is of God; that we might know the things that 
are freely given to us of God." 1 Cor. 2: 12. 

These texts form the basis of my remarks this morn- 
ing. We have not received the spirit of the world. The 
spirit of the world is one of uncertainty, doubt, and fear. 
There is really nothing certain in life. From the cradle 
to the grave, our life is filled with uncertainty. Busi- 
ness, politics, and, in fact, everything of a worldly na- 
ture, is uncertain. The same is true in the religious 
world. There exists a condition of doubt and fear. But 
in the midst of all this there is one place of perfect con- 
fidence and safety; a condition where no doubts or fears 
assail. That place is found in full salvation. Paul was 
not living in the realm of uncertainty, for he says, 
"We have received the spirit which is of God." What 
kind of a spirit is this? He answers, "That we might 
know the things that are freely given to us of God. 
There is no doubt here. John adds, "We know that we 
are of God." 

Two truths are expressed in these texts. First, the 
Christian has a positive knowledge of his ar?eptance 
with God; and second, there are evidences which produce 
that knowledge. 

POSITIVE KNOWLEDGE. 

We can know that we are saved. One of the first 
announcements made in the gospel is "to give knowledge 
of salvation, by the remission of our sins." In the old 
dispensation one man could say to the other, Know the 



EVIDENCES OF SALVATION. 63 

Lord. The people addressed God through the priest, 
and God answered through the prophet. But in this 
dispensation God says, "All shall know me from the 
least to the greatest." There is but one mediator be- 
tween God and man, that is Jesus Christ. Through him 
we all can have access to the Father. We each have 
the privilege of knowing God for ourselves. We can 
have positive knowledge of our acceptance with him. 
Hear John: "We know that we have passed from death 
unto life." And Paul also: "Unto us which are saved." 
If there is one thing above another that people need to 
be real sure about, it is the salvation of their souls. There 
is so much at stake. Eternity is too long, heaven too pre- 
cious, and hell too fearful, to go to death and the judge- 
ment in a state of uncertainty. Yes, brother, you can 
have confidence in your own experience. You can 
know that your sins are all forgiven, that your name is 
recorded in heaven, that you are ready for death, and 
have a mansion in the skies. To have this knowledge 
is of more value than to own all the gold and silver of 
a million worlds like this. This knowledge is not given 
just as we pass over the river of death, as some vainly 
suppose, but is a present experience in this life. We 
have a hope brighter than the perfect day. 

The evidences which produce the knowledge of salva- 
tion are two in kind: First, internal or invisible evi- 
dences ; second, external or visible evidences. Both these 
assure our hearts before God, because they are founded 
on the Word of truth. 

INTERNAL OR INVISIBLE EVIDENCES, 

The internal knowledge of salvation is expressed by 
Paul in the words, "Knowing in yourselves." Thank 
God for this internal knowledge ! You can know within 
yourself that you are a Christian. There are two classes 
of internal evidences : positive and negative. Among the 



64 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

positive is a sweet inward consciousness that we have met 
all God's requirements. I wish to dwell a moment here. 
There is such a thing as an inward consciousness in your 
soul, that you have met every condition in the Word of 
God and complied with every known requirement of the 
gospel. This brings the soul into a sweet state of rest. 
You can only reach it by paying the Bible price. When 
every sin is confessed and forsaken, when every idol is 
torn from your heart, when you have fully surrendered 
all, when you have died to the world, its pride, foolish- 
ness, wealth, honors, and pleasures; when you sign an 
eternal quitclaim upon yourself, when you are willing 
to make every wrong right, when you throw down your 
grudges and hard feelings, when you are ready to fol- 
low Jesus all the way and to suffer for his name's sake, 
when you by faith step out upon his immutable word, 
this consciousness will be yours. 

God has but one set of conditions for every person to 
meet. You can not get saved short of these conditions. 
Some folks think they can get saved on easier terms than 
others do. They are mistaken. God has one standard 
for all. Occasionally people come to our meetings and 
say, "You raise the standard too high for us. We can 
go over yonder to the sects and get religion cheaper. 
There they do not require us to give up our pride and 
worldly dress. We can chew, smoke, and drink a little, 
and keep on the good side of the world in general, yet 
profess right among them and be classed as Christians." 
It is true you can do this, but remember, your profession 
is vain, and you are a Christian only in name and pro- 
fession, not in reality. In the day of judgment you will 
be found on the left hand. No one can be saved short 
of the Bible conditions. The moment you meet these 
conditions you will be inwardly conscious of it, and you 
will be satisfied. Then you can look up into the face 
of God, and claim his promises. They are yours, but 



EVIDENCES OF SALVATION. 65 

you must come God's way. You must be sure every con- 
dition is met. One single point unyielded will bar you 
out of the kingdom. You can not profess over it and 
feel right within. In seeking help on any line whether to 
be converted, sanctified, or healed, you must fully meet all 
conditions to get results. 

FAITH AN EVIDENCE. 

A positive evidence is a faith that reaches God. This 
is not mere make-believe, or guess work, but faith in the 
heart that reaches up and actually touches God. It is 
the result of a surrendered life. This is not a mere 
mental effort, or a great soul struggle, but the easy 
natural result of coming God's way; a faith that touches 
the mighty God of heaven, and at once brings the soul 
in contact with him. Then heaven's electricity fills your 
soul. You have come in contact with a live wire, so 
to speak. Through this faith you feed on the powers of 
the world to come. You are brought into harmony with 
all heaven. Before this, you were out of tune with the 
universe about you. You were in an abnormal condition. 
Now you have reached your natural element and you 
enjoy your true environment. Heaven seems so near. 
You can almost hear the angels sing. This faith enables 
you to read your title clear to mansions in the skies. 
There is too much mere external reform in these days: 
too much trying to live right without the experience. 
This is all failure. 

WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. 

Another positive evidence is the witness of the Spirit. 
"His Spirit beareth witness with our spirits, that we 
are the children of God." It is very important to have 
this. I can not fully describe it. One man said, "It is 
a sweet ache within." With me, it is a sweet inward as- 
surance, that makes me feel so safe; an inward con- 



66 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

sciousness that I am accepted in the beloved. It enables 
me to look up to God and say, "My Father, my loving 
heavenly Father." It assures me that he says, "Mj 
child." O friend, never stop seeking, until you receive 
this witness. In conversion, the Spirit will witness that 
the work is done. In sanctification, the Holy Ghost will 
come in and witness unto you that your heart is pure. It 
is your privilege to have this witness. Without it, you 
are in doubt, and well you may be. How sure today 
are you that you are saved? Would you be willing V 
drop out of your seat into eternity? Suppose an angt 
with flaming sword should suddenly appear and command 
us all to leave this building, at the same time informing 
us that the moment we stepped through the door we 
should drop into eternity, either into heaven, or into hell ; 
would you be as sure of heaven as you would like to be? 
Listen, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow 
of death, I will fear no evil." 

LOVE, JOY, AND PEACE. 

Among the evidences that belong to the positive class 
are love, joy, and peace within. Before we were saved, 
hatred, malice, and envy filled our Hearts. Satan's throne 
was there, and he reigned within. Now he and all his 
works are cast out, and Christ is enthroned within. The 
sweet love of God fills our souls. Every person who is 
washed in the blood of Jesus loves God. This is a love 
you can feel. It is warm and true. You also love the 
brethren. This is called brotherly love. You love sin- 
ners, and desire to see them saved. You will love your 
worst enemies. You will feel the most amiable sweet- 
ness and tender affection toward the one who knowingly 
injures you. You can return good for evil, and will do 
it gladly. If you harbor the least hatred against any 
person, you are not saved. Divine love in the soul is a 
positive internal evidence of salvation. The bond of 



EVIDENCES OF SALVATION. 67 

union in the church of God is not external rules to which 
we subscribe, but is the love of God. Love keeps us 
together. If we love God, we love our brethren also. 
Without this love your soul is graceless. 

And joy — glory to God — there is inward joy. A con- 
version that will stir heaven and cause rejoicing among 
the angels will produce joy in your heart. The moment 
you find Jesus, joy will spring up in your soul. Yes, 
there is joy in the service of the Master. It is joy un- 
speakable and full of glory. To you it will appear as 
if heaven had dropped down to earth. Oh, the streams 
of glory, the sparkling waters, the overwhelming waves 
of heavenly joy! It is better felt than told. The new- 
born soul can sing, 

"The waves of devotion rebound in my soul, 
And sparkle so bright in the sun; 
I drink of that fountain, Oh, glory, I'm whole, 
My Eden on earth has begun.' ' 

People become enthused over business, politics, and the 
like; but when it comes to religion they say you must 
go about it very quietly. They imagine a Christian is a 
dry, sad person wearing a long face. Don't you believe 
it. Happy is that people whose God is the Lord." David 
speaks of "the joy of thy salvation." There is a million 
times more real joy and happiness in the service of God 
than this world can give. 

Also peace. "We have peace with God, through our 
Lord Jesus Christ." Every sinner is a rebel. He is an 
enemy to God. He has violated God's holy law, and 
incurred the just wrath and anger of the Almighty. By 
his transgression he has separated himself from God for 
time and eternity. But Christ stepped into the awful 
breach between man and God, and by his divinity took 
God in one hand, and by his humanity took man in the 
other hand, and made peace. "He is our peace." Thus 
we are reconciled to the Father by the death of his Son. 



68 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Oh thank God for this peace ! Not merely a peace 
through the divine plan, but a peace we feel in our very- 
souls. It is the peace of God that passeth all under- 
standing. 

NEGATIVE EVIDENCES. 

Among the negative internal evidences to our salvation 
is the removal of the heavy load of sin and guilt. Jesus 
expressed it thus: "Come unto me all ye that labor and 
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. * * * And ye 
shall find rest unto your souls." Here the sinner is 
represented as carrying a great load, a heavy load, un- 
der which he labors hard. I well remember when I 
came to Christ, convicted, penitent, and broken-hearted, 
how sin weighed down upon my soul like a great load 
too heavy to carry. Then when I found salvation, the 
load rolled away. Oh how light and free I felt! This 
was "rest unto my soul." I could then sing, 

"At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, 
And the burden of my heart rolled away; 
It was there by faith I received my sight, 
And now I am happy all the day. " 

My mother said that at the time of her conversion this 
was so real that as she started home from meeting she 
hardly knew she touched the ground. She felt as light 
as a feather. I do not say that it will be the same with 
everybody, but the work will be so definite that you will 
know when it takes place ; you will be conscious when the 
burden is gone. 

Suppose a man carries a hundred-pound load for 
twenty years. At the end of that time a friend breaks 
the chains of steel that bind it to him and the burden 
rolls off. Will he know it ? Why, yes, of course he will. 
So with the sinner when the heavy load of sin rolls off 
his heart. All condemnation and guilt is removed, and 
innocence is restored, even the innocence of childhood. 



EVIDENCES OF SALVATION. 69 

In my home congregation is a brother who lived in sin 
until he was seventy-nine years old. Three years ago 
in our winter revival-meeting he was converted for the 
first time in life. At the moment of his conversion the 
innocence of childhood was restored to that old man, and 
he stands as innocent before God today as though he 
never had committed a sin. Surely, this is a great sal- 
vation. 

EXTERNAL AND VISIBLE EVIDENCES. 

In conclusion, I will consider a few of the external 
and visible evidences of salvation. These are expressed 
by John in these words : "Every one that doeth righteous- 
ness, is born of him." 

The external evidences of salvation may also be prop- 
erly divided into two classes, the positive and negative. 
Among the positive I may mention the evidence of a 
new creature. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new 
creature." Salvation will make a new man of you. It 
will not only change you within, but will transform your 
outward life. The change will be visible to all. The 
members of your family, and your neighbors will look 
on with wonder at the change that has taken place. 
Maybe the old sinful creature fought with his wife, was 
cross, crabbed, and pouty; he smoked, drank a little, and 
swore when he got angry; but when this man became a 
new creature, all these things passed away. He is now 
an affectionate father, a kind loving husband. His whole 
life is changed. It will make the same change in wom- 
en's lives as in men's. Some folks are as contrary as they 
can be. They start to grumble before they get out of 
bed, and keep it up till late at night. Well did the wise 
man say that a contentious woman is like the continual 
dropping of wa+er on a very rainy day. Salvation will 
put a stop to all this. It will sweeten up your life. Yes, 
you will be a new creature. The old life of sin 



70 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

will be no longer in evidence, and you will be en- 
abled by the grace of God to live an entirely new 
life for God. 

The visible manifestation or evidences that you are 
saved is that you will do right. It will make you bet- 
ter in every way, in the home, in the neighborhood, and 
abroad. You will be strictly honest, and will pay your 
debts. Your word will be as good as your note. In your 
business dealings, you will have the reputation that your 
word can be relied upon, that it is good as gold. When 
you sell you will not ask more than you would wish to pay. 
i r ou will not misrepresent or hide the truth for the sake 
of a few dollars. In all your life and relations, you will 
take your conscience and soul along and will act for 
their best interests. Yes, you are a new creature. You 
manifest love to your worst enemy, by returning good 
for evil. You will do good to them that hate you, and 
pray for them that despitefully use you. You will live 
in obedience to the whole truth, observing every known 
command. You will live a prayerful, devoted life. You 
will be diligent in attending the public services, and 
always ready to fill your place in the prayer-meeting. 
You will be liberal with your means, and support the 
gospel with a cheerful heart. In short, you will live an 
all around practical Christian life. 

Among the visible evidences of salvation that may 
properly be placed in the negative class, is the absence 
of all the bad habits that formerly were so prominent in 
your life. Your sins are forever gone. Drink, tobacco, 
sensual practises, dancing, card-playing, theater-going, 
profanity, lying, stealing, joking, telling foolish and ob- 
scene stories, fleshly lusts, worldly dress — all these are 
gone. The Lord has completely delivered you from them 
all. They are no more seen in your life, because the 
inward desire for them was cleansed away by the blood 
of Jesus. 



EVIDENCES OF SALVATION. 71 

Friend! Are these internal and external evidences of 
salvation real in your life? If not, come to Christ to- 
day and be saved from all sin, before the judgment 
thunders roll. 



72 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



The Love of God. 

In the Auditorium, Saturday afternoon, June 7, 
by J. E. Forrest. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his 
Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the 
world through him might be saved." John 3:16, 17. 
We find from this text that God has provided a means 
of salvation. He has manifested his love to the world 
by giving his only begotten Son. Dearly beloved, there 
could not have been devised a better means of redeeming 
the world, a better means by which men and women 
could be saved. God has done the very best he could 
to accomplish the salvation of as many people as pos- 
sible. If he could have devised a plan more appropriate, 
more adaptable to the needs of the soul, he would have 
proclaimed it to the world. 

EXTENDS TO THE WHOLE WORLD. 

God so loved the world. We notice that God's love 
is great; that his sympathetic heart takes in everybody. 
He not only loved a few people in some nook or corner, 
in some state or island, but he loved the world and 
gave his Son that whosoever believeth in him should not 
perish but have everlasting life. In this act on his part 
we behold the impartial interest he manifested to all 
alike, so that none might be lost who would be saved. 

He sent his Son who had been with him in glory. 
Jesus on one occasion while he was with his disciples, 
prayed that God would glorify his Son, even with the 
glory he had enjoyed with him before the foundation 
of the world. One of the greatest miracles God ever 
wrought was when he sent forth his Son, clothing him 



THE LOVE OF GOD. 73 

with human flesh and blood, and placing him in the 
world that he might redeem mankind. Was not that a 
miracle? It was one of the greatest miracles of which 
the mind of man could ever conceive. There seemed to 
be no other plan of salvation, no way to redeem men 
but this way. God was so interested in the salvation of 
the world of rebels and wicked sinners, who came 
through the disobedience of one man, that he searched 
all the earth and heaven to find a remedy that would 
bring man back to God. 

GOD LOVED US FIRST. 

God loved sinners. In Rom. 5 : 8 we read that "God 
commended his love toward us, in that, while we were 
yet sinners, Christ died for us." While we were yet 
enemies — another text says — "Being enemies in our 
minds." We were by nature the children of wrath, and 
while in this wretched state God loved us and reconciled 
us unto life by the death of his Son. God wants us to 
comprehend something of what he has done for us. He 
loved a world of sinners that he might redeem them 
from their sins. If God had waited until we had be- 
come better or wiser, or until we had received an in- 
clination or disposition to serve or love him, or to obey 
and honor him, before he had manifested his love toward 
us, it would never have been manifested. John says, We 
love Him, because he first loved us. We had never loved 
God, yet he loved us first. Then our love to God is 
predicated upon his love to us. 

HIS SON A SACRIFICE. 

In 2 Cor. 8 : 9 I read, "For ye know the grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your 
sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might 
be rich." We are made rich through the poverty of God, 
through the poverty of Jesus; not rich in earthly goods, 



74 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

or in worldly wisdom and honor, but rich in faith, joint 
heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. And how? Because 
the Lord so loved us that he gave himself a sacrifice. 
He forsook heaven; he left the glory that he had with 
the Father and with the angels; he left all that was 
good; all that was blessed to him there; all that made 
him happy in heaven ; left all and came down here where 
he suffered hardships, where he was tempted and tried, 
called an imposter, hated, despised, rejected, and finally 
put to death that he might save you and me from our 
sins. Thank God, he has done all this for us. Though 
he was rich, he became poor, that we through his pov- 
erty might become rich. 

Are you rich in Christ? Have you received a Bible 
experience of salvation? Have you been blessed with 
that eternal wealth which Jesus came into the world 
to bestow upon you? If you have not, it is now your 
privilege, because he died that you might obtain it. He 
so loved you that he gave himself that you, through his 
poverty, might be an heir with him and share a fulfil- 
ment of the promises. 

PROVISION FOR SANCTIFICATION. 

In Eph. 5 : 25-27 we read, "Husbands, love your wives, 
even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself 
for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the 
washing of water by the word, that he might present it 
to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, 
or any such thing; but that it should be holy and with- 
out blemish. In Heb. 9:26 we read that he appeared 
once in the end of the world for the sacrifice of sins. 
Not only has Christ so loved the world that he gave him- 
self for the world, that the world might be saved and 
brought to him and redeemed by the sacrifice; but there 
is another phase to his sacrifice; he gave himself also 
for the church, that he might sanctify it; that it may 



THE LOVE OF GOD. 75 

be presented to him without spot or blemish at the last 
day. Jesus' sacrifice, his giving up of himself to save 
the worlds includes first the offering of himself for the 
world that anybody in any part of it might be saved. 
Embraced in that sacrifice also was provision for the 
sanctification of believers. He loved the church and gave 
himself for it that he might sanctify it. 

OUR EXAMPLE IN LOVE. 

And again, we find that he loved the ministry. In 
John 15:13 he says, "Greater love hath no man than 
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." 
We have found that this has been demonstrated many a 
time in instances where persons loved their associates, 
loved their kinsfolk or some one, and risked their lives 
to save them from physical death. 

In a certain town stands a monument in honor of a 
man who in his effort to save a child from being mangled 
by a moving train, lost his life. Losing sight of his 
own danger in beholding that of the child, he made a 
dashj seized the child and hurled it from the track. He 
saved another, but only by the loss of his own life. Thus 
we may honor men for deeds of benevolence. There is 
no greater human love than that a man lay down his life 
for his friends ; yet divine love died for us while we were 
yet enemies. Jesus loved the ministry, and especially did 
he address the ministry when he said, "Greater love 
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for 
his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I 
command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for 
the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth ; but I have 
called you friends; for all things that I have heard of 
my Father I have made known unto you." He loved 
those who were to preach the gospel, and gave his life 
for them. May the Lord help us to love one another 
as Christ loved us. 



76 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

In St. John 13: 34-35 we read, "A new commandment 
I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have 
loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall 
all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have 
love one to another." In the Old Testament we 
may find precepts where God has commanded us to 
love, but there is a new commandment in the New 
Testament of Jesus Christ. The salvation of God 
puts into the hearts of men a love that was never 
in them in Old Testament times. Christ had intro- 
duced a new commandment, "That ye love one an- 
other." To what extent? Here he tells us, "As I 
have loved you, that ye love one another." As 
Jesus loved his disciples, as he loved the church, so 
we are commanded to love one another. Do we love one 
another as Christ loved us? We can obey this new com- 
mandment of the New Testament. We may have the 
very same love in our hearts, and we may love as 
Christ loved. Have you this love in your hearts? We 
have an example in the persons of Aquila and Priscilla 
of whom Paul said in Rom. 16:4 that they laid down 
their own necks that he might be spared. That was a 
true example of sacrificial life; a love they felt for the 
apostle Paul which made them willing to lay down their 
own lives rather than that he should die. We may 
never be called upon to sacrifice our lives upon the chop- 
ping block for our brethren, but we are called upon 
every day to "lay down" our lives in the form of deeds 
of kindness, for the salvation of men and women. God 
help us to keep such love burning upon the altars of 
our hearts. God expects us to do our very best for 
the salvation of men. If we fulfil the will of God 
and do all he wants us to do for Christ in the 
world, we will do our very best to serve the Lord, to 
love our brethren, and to save the world from their 



THE LOVE OF GOD. 77 

EFFECT OF BROTHERLY LOVE. 

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples 
if ye have love one for another." There is a way by 
which we may convince others that we are the disciples 
of the Lord. I suppose that every professed follower 
of the Lord Jesus Christ desires to make proof that he is 
a child of God. We all have a desire within us to 
establish the fact clearly in the hearts of those who 
know us that we are the true disciples of the Lord. 
I want my friends and my enemies to have confidence 
in my profession of faith. Jesus tells us how we may 
convince people. "By this shall all men know that ye 
are my disciples if ye have love one to another." May 
God stir up a righteous desire in our souls to convince 
the world that we are the children of God. Everybody 
that comes in contact with us, everybody who witnesses 
our conduct in life and comes under the direct influence 
of our lives, will be impressed by the fact that we love 
one another, and that will be a proof that we are the chil- 
dren of God. According to the testimony of Christ, there 
are twin graces, which, if clearly manifested in us, will 
effect the salvation of men. These are love and unity. 
If we have love one to another, we are going to con- 
vince the world that we are true worshipers of the 
Father. Convince a man that you love him, and you 
can reach right out and get hold of him. Some people 
say they love God, but they do not love their neighbors 
as themselves. If we do not love brethren whom we 
have seen, how can we love God whom we have not 
seen? If a man does not love the God that dwells in 
his brother, he can not love the God that fills heaven, 
for he is essentially the same in both. In nature the child 
is like its Father. 

KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS. 

We read in John 14: 21, "He that hath my command- 



78 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

ments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and 
he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I 
will love him, and will manifest myself to him." We 
prove to God that we love Him by keeping his Word; 
and we prove to the world that we love God by loving 
one another. Can we do it? "He that hath my com- 
mandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." 
God knows who loves him. I have known persons who 
hid their tobacco about their clothing somewhere and 
would use it on the sly. Oh, beloved, God can see right 
into your pockets. He knows what is in you. His 
Word is a powerful spiritual X-ray and quick to discern. 
The idea of people trying to hide when God looks right 
into the hearts of all men and knows them and their 
doings from the dawn till close of day. God help us to 
be honest at heart and see to it that we are actually 
what the Lord requires us to be in this world. 

If we love him we will keep his commandments. In 
1 John 3: 16-18 we read, "Hereby perceive we the love 
of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we 
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso 
hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, 
and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, 
how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little chil- 
dren, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in 
deed and in truth." We would not have known that 
God loved us if he had not sent his Son into the world 
to die for us. A positive proof of God's love to us has 
been manifested. . He could have remained in heaven 
and could have sent angels down here to have warned 
and threatened us, and reproved us, and sent judgments 
into the world and condemned us, but God proved his 
love to us in that he sent his Son to redeem and to 
save us. Jesus loved us and laid down his life for 
us and said we ought to lav down our lives for the 
brethren. God has not asked anything of us that he 



THE LOVE OF GOD. 79 

has not exemplified before us, and it is not too much 
if he requires us to lay down our lives. 

love's constraining power. 

An example of the love of God is seen in the life of 
the apostle Paul. When he sent for the elders of 
Ephesus he related to them that he had taught from 
house to house and warned the people concerning the 
things of the kingdom of God, and he said, "I shall go 
down to Jerusalem not knowing what shall befall me 
there, save that bonds and afflictions await me." The 
spirit had testified and he was conscious that he would 
meet with persecution, but he said, "None of these things 
move me." Beloved, we need more of that sacrificial 
love in our hearts which will constrain us to do willingly 
the things that the Lord has commanded us to do. The 
love of God constrains men to push out into his service. 
He gave his very best for us, and now, in return, because 
we love him, we should do our very best for him. 

"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his 
brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of com- 
passion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in 
tongue; but in deed and in truth." Let us love accord- 
ing to the word of God. Let us prove to the world and 
to the brethren that we love them. We need love that 
will not only pull a man out of the water to keep him 
from drowning, but that will snatch immortal souls out 
of sin to keep them from suffering the torments of an 
unending hell. 

How are we going to prove that we love the world? 
By doing like Jesus did; like the apostles did; like the 
whole primitive church did, and all our examples before 
us have done, by loving and serving and sacrificing and 
saving. 

Can you tell how we are going to prove the love of 



80 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

God if we do not prove it in this way? We may think 
that we love God, we might truly profess that we love 
God; but unless we keep his commandments, we would 
make God a liar. The apostle said in his epistle (1 John 
2:4), "He lhat saith, I know him, and keepeth not his 
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of 
God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him." 
We can not afford to profess love to God when we do 
not keep his Word. "Whoso keepeth his word, in him 
verily is the love of God perfected." 

LOVE FOR THE LOST WORLD. 

We want the world to know that we are saved ; to know 
that we are interested in their saVation; and I might 
add, that the salvation of the wor!d depends largely upon 
what we shall do to save it. The church and the blood 
of Christ are God's means of saving the world. God's 
part is done, the tidings are ready to be told, but we are 
responsible for the preaching of the gospel. God will 
hold us accountable for the souls of men we might save, 
and what an awful thing it will be in the judgment day 
if it shall be found that we have the stain of the blood 
of human souls upon our garments ! 

In Ezekiel, chapter 9, is recorded the prophet's vision 
of how a man with a writer's inkhorn was commanded to 
go through the city and put a mark upon every one who 
was sighing and crying because of its abominations, and 
six men with slaughtering weapons to slay everybody that 
did not have the mark of God on him. One did the 
marking, but it took six to do the slaying. How awful 
that the whole city of Jerusalem was given over to its 
sins, and there were only so few that were spared. How 
would it be today if the angels of the Lord should be 
commanded to pass throughout the church of God and 
put a mark upon everybody that is sacrificing, weeping., 



THE LOVE OF GOD. 81 

toiling^ and wrestling with God because of the sins of 
this world? How many would get the mark? Would 
you get the mark? How many of you are weeping and 
praying for the salvation of the lost and dying? This 
is an open question ; you can give a secret answer. Take 
into consideration the responsibility resting upon you. 
How many now bear the mark of the Lord Jesus Christ? 
When some one is murdered a clew is sought by which 
to find the guilty party. Perchance a knife or a gar- 
ment which has the stain of blood upon it is found and 
by this evidence it is proved that a certain man is the 
guilty one. The arrest is made, and he is convicted 
upon circumstantial evidence and must suffer the penalty 
because he has the stain of blood upon his garments. 
How many of us will be free from the blood of souls at 
the judgment? God will bring every work to the judg- 
ment, whether good or bad, and he knows whether you 
are doing your best for God. If the blood of souls is 
found upon us at the revelation of Jesus Christ, those 
stains will result in our final conviction and banishment 
from the presence of God for all eternity. Paul, ex- 
horting the elder:; (Acts 20), testified, "I am free from 
the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare 
the whole counsel of God. 5 ' God wants ministers in the 
church that are not afraid to declare the full gospel; 
not afraid to preach Jesus Christ. He wants those 
who can say, with the apostle, "I am not ashamed of the 
gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salva- 
tion to every one that believeth." We ought to be as 
consecrated as Paul was. Oh, for that willingness in 
the church— -"as much as in me is." Are you willing to 
preach, to pray, to give, to sacrifice, to love, and to serve 
"as ranch as in you is"? 



82 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



Pure Religion. 

In the Auditorium, Saturday evening, June 7, 
by J. Grant Anderson. 

"If any man among you seem to be religious, and 
bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this 
man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled 
before God and the Father is this: To visit the father- 
less and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself 
unspotted from the world." Jas. 1 : 26, 27. 

I call your attention especially to a term used in the 
27th verse; namely, "pure religion." The word pure be- 
longs to a class of adjectives that can not be compared. 
We might say good, better, best, but we could not cor- 
rectly say pure, purer, purest, because pure is superla- 
tive in itself. There would be no use in sterilizing pure 
milk, or in filtering pure water. Pure religion is relig- 
ion unmixed with error. James uses the word pure in 
this text, not as a comparison of qualities, but of 
things; namely, the vain religion mentioned in the pre- 
ceding verse. The aims, aspirations, and motives of the 
people that possess the religion of Jesus Christ are pure, 
possessing no alloy. How thankful we ought to be for 
a religion that is pure! 

RELIGION DETINED. 

The woTd religion is from the Latin compound word 
rel'gare, meaning, bind back, bind fast ; re-, back again ; 
ligare, bind. Religion, then, is a binding fast to some- 
thing. It does not make any difference to what it 
binds; religion simply means firm binding to some- 
thing. The vain religions, as taught in the worM to- 
day, bind; but they bind largely those things that are 
impure. Vain religion binds to things material, but pure 
religion binds men to God. 



PURE RELIGION. 83 

The Christian's life is the most happy life in the 
world; the easiest and most natural life, because such a 
life is God's design. God intended man to worship him. 
Before we proceed farther, I desire to mention something 
of importance. 

Man is a compound, as we all know, possessing an 
outward being and an inward being. The Bible states in 
one place that it is possible, that while the outward 
man is perishing, the inward man can daily in- 
crease in strength. There must necessarily, then, be two 
beings. 

There must also be two births. Jesus said -to Nico- 
demus, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and 
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." In Gen. 2 : 7 
it is declared that the Lord God "formed man" out of the 
dust. In Zech. 12: 1 we read, "The burden of the word 
of the Lord to Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth 
forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, 
and formeth the spirit of man within him." Job says 
there is a spirit in man, that the inspiration of the Al- 
mighty giveth him understanding. Then, it naturally 
follows, that it is the inner man that is susceptible to the 
teaching of Christ. 

Before the child reaches the years of accountability, 
the only law that it is under^ is simply the law of its 
parent or guardian; but there comes a time in the life 
of every normal child; when he passes from that state of 
innocency, and becomes responsible to God. Before this 
time, the growing child is not much concerned, except 
far enough to eat and drink. There comes a time, 
however, when a physical awakening takes place, and 
the young boy or girl passes from boyhood or girlhood, 
to young manhood or womanhood. About the time there 
comes an awakening of the physical, there is also an 
awakening of the spiritual faculties of the soul. What- 
ever has been inculcated in that youthful mind by its 



84 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

parents, guardians, or teachers, that becomes its belief, 
and its belief becomes its religion, whether pagan or 
Christian. These are important facts. 

Remember, in this connection, that religion binds 
intensely, regardless of what is taught; hence, sincerity 
must be eliminated entirely, relative to the subject of 
pure religion. The heathen mother is just as sincere in 
her devotions, as the Christian mother is in hers, and it 
binds her to the thing she believes to be God. There- 
fore it makes no difference what they believe, what their 
former teaching has been. Religion is simply a binding 
to something, whether it be pagan, Mohammedan, or 
Christian. How necessary it is, then, that we teach our 
children the elements of pure religion. 

CONTRADICTORY RELIGIONS. 

Next, I desire to speak of religions in a comparative 
sense. The thought naturally presents itself to the in- 
telligent listener, "Are all religions equally good and 
equally true?" I say no, most emphatically, and my 
reason is this : Because they are so contradictory, either 
as a whole, or in part. That the religions of the world do 
contradict, will not be denied. [At this point the speaker 
held up his Bible and asked a number of ministers sit- 
ting on the platform, to read what was printed on the 
back. All read it the same: 'Holy Bible.'] My bre'.hren 
all agree that this is the Holy Bible. If they had dis- 
agreed, and one had said it was a Holy Hymn Book, and 
the second, a Holy Testament, and the third, a Holy 
Bible, we would conclude, that two of them, at least, 
were wrong, but, by following the meaning of the alpha- 
betical characters as universally adopted, they all agree 
that H-o-l-y spells Holy, and B-i-b-1-e, spells Bible; 
hence, we take it that they are right. 

Now, the Spirit of God is the universal interpreter 
of the Bible; will he interpret it to all alike? Natural 



PURE RELIGION. 85 

instinct leads animals of the same species to act alike; 
and the Spirit of God leads all men alike, by always 
interpreting the Bible the same way. We often 
notice a change in statutory law, relative to the 
changing needs of men; but the Bible, being a per- 
fect law of liberty from the beginning, must be an un- 
changeable law, and capable of only one set of correct 
interpretations. Upon this premise, I declare the Bible 
to be a unit — that it teaches only ONE thing. Pure re- 
ligion points men to the Bible as a perfect revelation of 
God's will to man, and the Bible points all men every- 
where to God. The religions of the world today are 
not equally good, or true, because they are contradictory. 
Truths are eternal principles, and never contradict- 
never. Whenever you find truth, whether you find it in 
Christian Science, Astronomy, or Botany, it will corre- 
spond exactly and harmoniously with every other known 
truth. It will fit anywhere, and in any place in wisdom's 
house. You don't need to be afraid to embrace 
truth. 

PURE RELIGION A UNIT. 

There are many people, I fear, who would rather hug 
a delusion than to believe and embrace a fact. What 
we really know, we all know alike. The Bible says that 
there should be no divisions among us, but that we should 
all be joined together in the same mind and in the same 
judgment. The Bible teaches but one doctrine, and that 
one doctrine will lead all men one way to God. What 
we know perfectly we all know alike. Suppose two and 
two were four in Philadelphia; two and two were five 
in Pittsburg; two and two were six in Columbus; 
two and two were seven in Cincinnati; would 
not that be confusion and Babylon? In or- 
der to carry on interstate commerce satisfactorily 
and systematically, we must have a uniform standard of 



86 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

weights and measures, or we would all be mixed up In 
a commercial babylon. We must have a universal law to 
govern spiritual things, or we would be at sea, so to 
speak; and thank God we have, and it is the Word of 
God — the Bible. The Christian, spiritually speaking, 
can buy and sell in every land because he has but one 
standard of measurements, namely, the Word of God. 
The Bible teaches but one thing — one Lord, one faith, 
and one baptism. 

I used to belong to the M. E. society. Now under- 
stand me, I am not condemning men, but I am condemn- 
ing wrong system. We, of the M. E. faith, taught that 
the Godhead was composed of three persons; namely, 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That should be taught 
everywhere, for it is right. In the same city was an- 
other system, which taught that Christ was separate from 
the Godhead — yet they believed in His divine concep- 
tion. Another system near us taught that Christ was 
simply a good man, and rejected Him entirely from the 
Godhead. Still another system rejected the person of 
the Holy Ghost, and held that Jesus and the Holy Ghost 
were simply the Spirit of God operating in different 
ways. Again, one of these systems taught sprinkling 
for baptism, another taught that immersion only was 
baptism, and another rejected water baptism in toto. 
Let me ask, Can all these ways be right since they 
so contradict? For refusing to believe and support this 
babylon of systems many have been classed as infidels, 
when they are simply unbelievers of things inconsistent, 
and not unbelievers in God. The Bible teaches but one 
way. It was good for the apostles and it is good enough 
for me. 

POWER IN PURE RELIGION. 

The reason why so many of these vain religions are 
becoming bankrupt is this; they do not offer one-half 



PURE RELIGION. 87 

the pleasure to the world that fraternal orders do; do 
not care for their members when sick; are cold and un- 
inviting, and do not give men power over wrong. What- 
ever religious system guarantees you safety without 
spirituality is a humbug and is vain. There are people 
in the world who are slaves to passion and perverted 
appetites, and who are longing for help. The pure re- 
ligion of Jesus Christ makes a man a conqueror over 
himself. The pure religion of Jesus Christ has saving 
qualities, whether in the individual, the home, or in the 
world. The reason the nominal religions of today do not 
give men power is because they are of human origin. 
Water will rise to its own level, but no higher. 

[Here the speaker pointed to a diagram on the black- 
board illustrating how man dammed up the water, to 
harness its power, solely for personal gain. The illus- 
tration showed how the water overflowed dam after dam 
until at length it reached the mighty ocean. He then 
applied the illustration to Christianity.] 

The pure religion of the New Testament began at 
the time of Christ. I am glad for that old-time religion, 
as expressed in the song sang by our sisters, at the be- 
ginning of this service, for it not only points the way, 
but it gives men power to act and to act right, and never 
ceases to act, until it ceases to exist. It is a heart-felt 
religion. In order to get this old-time religion, we must 
begin back far enough. Some point only to D. S. War- 
ner, others to John Wesley and still others to Martin 
Luther; but pure religion began with Jesus Christ. The 
church of God started out in one stream. Oh, the love, 
power, and unity they possessed! They were a moving 
force in the world in which they lived. There was power 
behind their religion. They had power over the world, 
the flesh, and the devil. They raised the dead. They 
overcame every obstacle and they loved not their lives 
unto death. They were in unity, and great grace was 



88 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

upon them all. I might add right here that we are 
strong only when we are united. 

Vain religion had its inception when men began to 
harness the power of God, and they began their vain 
work at an early date. We read of Diotrephes who loved 
to have the preeminence, of others who began to lord it 
over God's heritage for filthy lucre's sake, whom Paul 
rebuked. Such men began to dam God's people up in 
the days long gone by. They harnessed them up for 
personal gain; they made merchandise out of them. 
The Roman Catholic church was the first to do so, and 
they kept them harnessed up for hundreds of years. 
But in the spiritual world, as in the ocean, God has a law 
in operation, namely, that his people shall flow together 
and be one. They will not only be one, but they will be 
together in unity. 

In 1530 Martin Luther suddenly arose from his knees, 
ran down the stone steps, crying, "The just shall live 
by faith." The true children of God began to get out 
of Catholicism rapidly, and the power of the Romish dam 
was broken to that extent that it has never been mended. 
Catholicism's main power consisted in keeping its sub- 
jects in ignorance. Pure religion is uplifting, educa- 
tional, and consistent. This delivery from Romish bond- 
age in 1530 was the first great overflow since Pentecost. 
The children of God began to flow outward towards the 
boundless ocean of freedom. After a while others began 
to scheme, but God's people, like water in a dam, will 
rise higher and higher, until one by one they will make 
their escape from every artificial dam. The Wesleyan 
reformation came on apace, which resulted in another 
great overflow. Thus it has b^en year after 3 T ear, one 
reformation after another until the evening time has 
come. This movement in which we are now engaged is 
no longer a reformation but a mighty restoration. The 
ransomed of the Lord are returning with songs of ever- 



PURE RELIGION. 89 

lasting joy. In the morning God's people were one, and 
in the evening, thank God, it will be the same, in fact 
it is the same. 

DRAWING INFLUENCES. 

There is another power that I have not mentioned di- 
rectly in the consideration of pure religion. Jesus said, 
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all 
men unto me." There is a lifting force in Christ. In 
the natural river, the law of gravitation makes it run 
down hill, and the law of cohesion holds the molecules 
of water together. How foolish it would be for man to 
formulate laws for that same purpose. In fact, man can 
only stop the operations of that law temporarily. Gravi- 
tation, ultimately, will draw all waters to one common 
level, the boundless ocean. The gravitation of pure re- 
ligion is upward, and ultimately will bring all honest 
souls in one way, in the paths of unity and purity. 

The pure religion of Jesus Christ is destined to reach 
all the world. Its warming, elevating influences will some 
day reach from the rivers unto the ends of the earth, and 
the islands of the sea shall hear thereof and be glad. 
Man can not stop the onward movement of the church, 
for the will of God is behind it. My brethren, we are 
safe in the blessed church of God, for "God is in the 
midst of her and she shall not be moved." Praise the 
Lord forever! I feel this religion burning in my soul 
tonight. Down with the puny arm of opposition. Away 
with vain religion and its hollow pretenses. The church 
of God is moving on to victory. You might as well try 
to dam Niagara, as to try to stop the onward march of 
the church of God. It is God-created, God-given, and 
God-maintained. 

Pure religion is more than a code or a system. It is 
a living principle. It is not an undirected force, wander- 
ing through space, but it is resident in our being, and 



90 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

thank God we have it in our souls tonight. It is a mov- 
ing, active, living power. It not only gives men power 
to act, but to act right, and at the right time. Pure re- 
ligion is what the world needs. It reveals the active 
principle that exalts the nation. Away with your vain 
religions and give me Christ. This world needs men and 
women that are fiT.ed with the power of God. Let us 
keep the melting love of God in our hearts continually. 
Pure religion and undefined before God is all this, my 
brethren, and more than this. 



HEAVENLY WISDOM. 91 



Heavenly Wisdom. 

.Address to Ministers in Chapel, Sunday morning-, June 8, 
by J. W. Byers. 

I have often said, if I ever fall, I want to fall into 
the hands of the ministry. I am glad this morning for 
the privilege of being one of you. It seems to me that 
this is the most sacred place and the most wonderful 
place in which I have ever been. If I were to attend 
congress or a session of our legislature I should expect 
to find men of wisdom and ability, men into whose hands 
were entrusted the making of laws for the benefit 
of our government; but this morning as I look into your 
faces I consider I am in a great deal more sacred assem- 
bly than such a gathering as that. I am among a peo- 
ple that are not here, however, to make laws, but to 
reverence those laws that God has made. I am glad 
this morning for the church of God. 

I have been impressed with the precious thought of 
heavenly wisdom. It is a good thing to talk about. It 
matters not how much wisdom any of us has, none of 
us has so much that he has no need for more. It is 
something we never can get too much of. The nearer 
we get to God the more we will have. The more we 
read our Bibles and meditate upon them, and the more 
we wait on God in prayer, the more heavenly wisdom 
we will absorb from God. 

Job 28:28 tells us what wisdom is: "And unto man 
he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; 
and to depart from evil is understanding." We should 
have more of the fear of God in our hearts, and there 
will be no room for any other fears. It will be a safe- 
guard against all the wickedness and evil spirits that 
the devil is imposing upon the world today. Where 
the fear of God is, there is wisdom. Solomon says, 



92 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

"The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." If the 
fear of God is wisdom and if we keep in the fear of 
God, we will have the courage to increase in this wis- 
dom. Jesus said, "Be ye wise as serpents, and harm- 
less as doves." 

VALUE OF WISDOM. 

Wisdom is more valuable than any earthly treasure. 
The Bible compares it with different things. It can not 
be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for 
it. In Eccl. 9: 16 we read, "Then said I, Wisdom is 
better than strength." The power of man may be 
great, but it is nothing compared to wisdom. With heav- 
enly wisdom, man can speak such words that our ad- 
versary can not gainsay nor resist. Again, it is said in 
Eccl. 9: 18, "Wisdom is better than weapons of war." 
It can overthrow the wisest generals. We should depend 
on God to speak through us, that the world may see 
that there is something more than human wisdom and 
judgment in us. 

SOURCE OF WISDOM. 

When the three Hebrew children were in their dis- 
tress and their lives were in danger, you remember how 
they did not know what to do, but their eyes were upon 
God. Daniel told the ruler of the wise men, just give 
us a little time and let us seek God; and he went to his 
friends and they got down before God and sought wis- 
dom from God. That was a critical moment of their 
lives. 

You remember, too, how Solomon did when he had the 
responsibility of ruling the children of Israel. God 
appeared to him in the night and said he could have 
whatever he wanted. Solomon said that above everything 
else, I want a wise and understanding heart. That is 
what made him the man he was. God said because he 
had desired this, it pleased him to give him more. Were 



HEAVENLY WISDOM. 93 

you ever in a place where you did not know what to 
do? It is good just then to seek just as Solomon did, 
and as Daniel did — to seek for wisdom. Man's wis- 
dom is spoken of in the Bible. The apostle Paul, who 
was well up in the scale of intellectuality, ability, and 
learning, as a man of his day, when he caught a glimpse 
of heavenly wisdom, it seemed that the wisdom he had 
was like trash. The wisdom of God is wiser than man. 
Our human wisdom, so far as that is concerned, is of 
very little good unless it is inspired with the wisdom 
from above. Some have natural wisdom, but, dear breth- 
ren, it takes heavenly wisdom to help us to know how to 
make use of our human wisdom. 

MAKING USE OF WHAT WE KNOW. 

Here is a definition of wisdom, one of my own: Wis- 
dom is the divine power to make the right use of what 
we know. On this thought, what we know, I want to 
say what I have in my heart. We, as a people this 
morning, as ministers in the church of God, know more 
about God than any people on the face of this earth. We 
have more knowledge of the true God and of the truth, 
more knowledge of the things of God and a spiritual 
life as a people than the people of any other movement 
in the world. Now, do we boast about this? No, we 
should rather hang our heads in humility of heart. The 
more we know, the more we are responsible. This will 
only add to condemnation if we do not make the right 
use of it. To know something is not sufficient, but to 
practice what we know will be a blessing to us. 

The wise virgins took oil in their vessels with their 
lamps. What made the others foolish? The foolish 
knew as well as the wise that the bridegroom might tarry 
his coming? That was a common thing in those days. 
But the wise, knowing what had happened at other times 
and that he might tarry, took oil in their vessels with 



94 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

their lamps, and when the bridegroom came, they rose, 
trimmed their lamps, had oil in their vessels, and went 
in to the marriage supper. The foolish did not do what 
they knew they should do. It seems to me that the most 
foolish people in the world are those that do not make 
use of what they know. 

OUR SOURCE OF STABILITY. 

In Isa. 33:6 we read, "And wisdom and knowledge 
shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of sal- 
vation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure." The world 
has never seen a more unstable time than now. The 
religious world has never seen such unsettled conditions, 
such momentous questions to solve, such upheavels and 
revolutions in doctrine. While God has seen fit in these 
last days to shine this evening light on us as workers 
and ministers, we ought to be posted on every subject 
of the Bible and have knowledge of these vital things. 
We have a book or tract on nearly every Bible theme. 
All these volumes of knowledge, and all these things will 
stand against us and make us foolish, if we do not what 
we know. Let us be like the wise virgins. Let us keep 
our vessels filled with oil. Thus we shall keep the 
truth ever burning. Do what you know is the right thing 
to do. 

KNOWING WHAT TO DO. 

Sometimes we come to a place where we do not know 
what to do. Were you ever there? What! a minister 
of the gospel, a man or woman versed in the Scriptures 
and yet does not know what to do? Were you ever so 
sick you did not know what to do? I remember one 
night when Brother Brown was suffering so intensely. 
He wakened me and said, "I don't know what to do." 
We prayed until I fell asleep, but I was again awakened 
by hearing him rebuke the devil. That was just the 



HEAVENLY WISDOM. 95 

thing to do and it worked successfully. Perplexities will 
arise, but we know what to do. If you are so afflicted 
you don't know what to do, what does the Word of God 
say to do? PRAY! "If there is any sick among you, 
let him call for the elders of the church." Says one, 
"I have prayed and I can not get hold. I have prayed 
myself out." Call for the elders of the church. I would 
put myself into the hands of the ministry and let them 
be responsible for my healing. This will work in busi- 
ness difficulties also. We do know what to do if we but 
stop and wait upon God. That is where it takes heav- 
enly wisdom. Act upon what you know, and act upon 
the principles taught in God's eternal Word, and you will 
come out right every time. 

I remember a perplexity I had in a business matter. 
I went to a brother who was a good business man and 
asked him for some advice in the matter. He had had 
experiences like mine and I knew he could help me out. 
But I was very much disappointed for after I poured out 
my troubles to him all he said was, "Trust in the Lord 
with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own under- 
standing. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall 
direct thy paths." I felt sadly disappointed, as I had 
been looking for good advice. As I went home, I began 
to think of it and I began to see the beauty of that advice. 
It worked out beautifully, and I learned a lesson I want 
to remember all my life. 

Ministers, when we meet our brothers and sisters in 
distress, when they don't know what to do, just simply 
encourage them to trust in God. "Trust in the Lord 
with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own under- 
standing. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall 
direct thy paths." That is heavenly wisdom. Wisdom 
is making use of what we know. We may think we 
know things sometimes when we do not; but if we make 
use of that which we do know we will never fail. Let 



96 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

us do just what we know, and let us know God and 
know what God says about everything we have to do. 
God's judgment is what God thinks and says. Are you 
going to take what God thinks and says and let your will 
be subject to that? We should refresh our minds every 
day with God's judgment of things. 

Heavenly wisdom will make us fit to be ministers of 
God. See Jas. 3:17 — "But the wisdom that is from 
above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to 
be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without par- 
tiality, and without hypocrisy." When I made my 
first trip in gospel work my dear old mother handed me 
a little slip of paper and said, "Here, take this along 
with you." I did not know what it might be, and did 
not think to look at it immediately; but when I opened 
it I found this precious verse of scripture: "But the 
wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, 
gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good 
fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." Jas. 
3: 17. My heart is open to God this morning for more 
of this wisdom to be seen in me. I have made many 
blunders, but that precious verse has been in my heart 
ever since. Many a time the powers of darkness were 
so arrayed against me that I did not know what to do, 
but I sought help in God, and he has been a source 
of strength to me in every time of need. I pray God that 
we put into practise in everything in our lives that wis- 
dom which is first pure. It must be pure, as it comes 
from God. God is the source of it. It is peaceable, 
then gentle. I want to be like an adamant against the 
power of sin, but I want a humble, gentle spirit. "First 
pure, then peacable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits, 
easy to be entreated, without partiality, and without hy- 
pocrisy." I believe that is one of the greatest qualifica- 
tions that we need in our hearts. I am ashamed that I 
have not been able to make better use of the wisdom de- 



HEAVENLY WISDOM. 97 

scribed in this verse. It is the very qualification that 
will make us able ministers of the gospel. We ought to 
seek more and more the heavenly wisdom. 

WISDOM IN WINNING SOULS. 

It is a wonderful thing to win souls. There is not a 
higher vocation on the face of God's earth. Talk about 
the president in his chair, the emperor in the power of 
his realm; the highest honor conferred upon mortal man 
is to be a soul-winner. But if we are going to be soul- 
winners we must have heavenly wisdom. There are prom- 
ises in the Word of God that we may have this wisdom. 
Jas. 1 : 5 — "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of 
God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; 
and it shall be given him." How good it is that we may 
have this wisdom that will enable us to be better soul-win- 
ners, and better able to do the will of God. Dear fellow la- 
borers and workers for precious souls, let us just keep 
our hearts open and let us pray mightily. We may not 
always know when we speak words of wisdom; we may 
be the least conscious of this fact; but it will work its 
effect into the hearts of men. 

Jas. 3: 13 tells how to make use of this wisdom. "Who 
is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? 
let him show out of a good conversation his works with 
meekness of wisdom." That message of ours will be 
fruitful if it is inspired and filled with heavenly wisdom. 
That wisdom which man may have, may be very shrewd 
and intelligent, but that is not heavenly wisdom. 

Wisdom from above will build up, edify, strengthen; 
the work of God will grow, and our labors will be helpful 
to all with whom we meet. Jesus speaks about wisdom 
of a wise servant that gives meat in due season. Matt. 
24 : 45 — "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom 
his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give 
him meat in due season ?" A wise servant will give meat 



98 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

in due season. A servant does not think about feeding 
himself. His business is to feed others. His object 
is not to be fed, but to serve. That meat in due season 
is the food the people need. Brethren, if ever in our 
lives we need wisdom, it is when we come before a con- 
gregation. God help us to be like that wise servant that 
gives the meat in due season and the kind of food 
needed, that serves in love and sincerity, from a motive 
of others welfare. And when the Master comes, what 
will he do with us? He will gird himself and serve us. 
There will be a reward in the day of reckoning. 

WISDOM OF SUBMISSION. 

There may be times when we may come against diffi- 
culties, and our brethren may be at variance with us in 
some things in human judgment. What is the course of 
wisdom in such cases? Perhaps a brother or sister does 
not see something as we do; we may have a different 
opinion. What shall we do? Shall we contend for our 
opinion and idea and strive in this respect? I heard 
some one say yesterday how we ought to lay down our 
lives for our brethren. Lay down our lives for our breth- 
ren? Yes. If we ought to lay down our lives for our 
brethren, should we not lay down our opinions, too? We 
should submit our opinions, and submission is not always 
sacrifice either; but if it is a sacrifice, if it is a truth, it 
will come back to us. Submission is a divine law. It is 
a safeguard against all heresies and divisions. If I am 
wrong, I need to know it; and if I am right, it will take 
care of itself. Submission is not always sacrifice, yet 
we should sacrifice if necessary. We should submit 
to God, and the church of God. We can afford to 
wait. 

Let us pray God to give us the wisdom that Daniel, 
Stephen, and Joseph had in the time of their perplexities. 
God gave them wisdom. David prayed, when he was 



HEAVENLY WISDOM. 99 

thinking of the shortness of life, "So teach us to num- 
ber our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." 
Let this be our prayer this morning. 



100 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



Divine Healing. 

In the Auditorium, Sunday morning, June 8, 
by Willis M. Brown 

I thank God for salvation. God saved me eighteen 
years ago. I was an infidel, but when I found out God 
would answer prayer, I commenced calling on him for 
conviction. My heart was locked so that I could not 
weep. I called on God for two days and nights for 
conviction. He saw my earnestness and broke up the 
fallow ground of my heart. I could turn out every 
bit of malice, strife, hatred, envy, and every bit of sin. 
I could turn the whole thing out and let God in. But 
it took me two days and nights after I was convicted, 
before I was willing to go to the individuals whose lives 
I had wanted to take, and confess to them what I had 
done and what I had desired to do and ask their for- 
giveness. When I was willing to do this, God Almighty 
forgave me. Malice and murder went out of my soul, 
thank God! and love, joy, and peace, came in. The 
quickening spirit of God touched my heart and made 
me have fellowship with him, and all his people. 

At first I had fears that I could not live salvation. 
I knew what my surroundings were, and that it would 
take all the grace and wisdom God would give me, but 
I believed that the God that could make the change in 
my heart he had made, could keep me that way; so I 
decided I would rather die than fail to live what I had 
testified to before my wicked associates. I began to 
pray for power to live it, and the Lord led me to con- 
secration. I made a complete surrender of myself, my 
family, my business, all I knew and all I ever expected 
to know, and was willing to do anything that God 
wanted me to do. God took away the fear, and put a 
know-so in my soul. He filled me with the Spirit and 



DIVINE HEALING. 101 

power of the Holy Ghost. I knew it then and I know 
it now. I thank God for the saving grace of Jesus 
Christ. 

I was given up by three doctors to die of consump- 
tion. I walked with a stick, weighed one hundred and 
twenty-five pounds, was stooped in my shoulders, and 
was coughing and spitting blood. Put yourself in my posi- 
tion. Now, suppose you were in that condition and your 
family physician had given you up; you hear of a doctor 
who lives a long way off, that can cure all manner of 
diseases, so you conclude to try him; you send for him, 
he comes and gives you a complete cure. The other 
physician moves away and the one that cured you moves 
juiio the house with you. Now, it you were X? get sick 
again, would you send for the physician that could not 
cure you and had moved away ? Would you ignore the 
one that lived in the house with you, the one that had 
cured you? Certainly you would not. You would pat- 
ronize the one that cured you. This I did. The physi- 
cians had given me up. I heard of Jesus — that he could 
cure all manner of diseases. I met the conditions in the 
Word, and he healed me. The other physicians fell out 
with me because of my belief and faith in God. When 
I get sick I do not send for the other physicians that 
failed, and ignore the Christ that cured me; but I call 
on Him who healed all manner of diseases. And for 
eighteen years I have never failed to give him the job 
when I am afflicted. James says, "The prayer of faith 
shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." 

There are many people here this morning who want help 
from God ; people, no doubt, who have suffered for years 
and have tried many physicians. You have heard of 
the Great Physician, and of the wonderful things that 
are done at the Anderson camp-meeting in answer to 
prayer; so you came with the expectation of certain per- 
sons praying for you and healing you. But you must 



102 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

remember that Jesus said, "According to your faith be 
it unto you." "Without faith it is impossible to please 
him"; and it is impossible to have faith without obeying 
God. I want to tell you there is power in the blood of 
Christ to heal all manner of sicknesses. Thank God, 
he is the same Christ today that he was when he walked 
upon the earth, and made the blind to see, the lame to 
walk, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and raised 
the dead to life. I have put God to the test for eighteen 
years, and he has never failed to do what he has 
promised when I met the conditions of the Word. The 
Bible is full of His promises. This is the will of God to 
you. You have a perfect right to what he has prom- 
ised, and if you pay the price it is yours. Men nor 
devils can not keep you out of it. But, my friend, it 
may be possible that you are not acquainted with God; 
hence, you are afraid to trust him. You know it is hard 
to trust a stranger. 

GET ACQUAINTED WITH GOD. 

The first thing you need to do is to get acquainted with 
God. Suppose you hear that I am going to move into 
your community; you hear that I can not be relied on, 
that I will not pay my debts, and that I will not tell 
the truth at all times. I move across the road from 
you and get my things unloaded; I tell you that I hap- 
pened to have an accident, and need $10 for a few days. 
You have the money; but would you lend it when you 
do not know me; and when you have heard 
that I could not be relied on? Would you? You 
know you would not. Now, I live there twelve 
months or two years, prove to be a straight and honest 
man, pay my debts, and in every respect am a good 
neighbor; yet the people still talk about me and tell the 
same things about me; but you have watched me, and 
tried me, and found the accusations to be false. Sup- 



DIVINE HEALING. 103 

pose then, that I came to you for $10; would you lend 
it to me? Yes, of course you would. 

God was a stranger to me. I had heard many things 
about him. I had heard he would not do what he had 
said he wouM do; that some of his Word had passed 
away. But I got acquainted with him; I found that he 
would answer prayer; I committed my soul, spirit, and 
body into his hands. I still hear people say his Word 
is not true and that part of it has passed away, but I 
have tried him for eighteen years. I am acquainted with 
him. I am not afraid to trust him for anything I need. 
The reason a great many people can not trust God, is 
because they do not get close enough to him; they are 
afraid to trust their bodies with God. If you are a 
Christian this morning, you are not afraid to trust your 
soul into his care; why not trust your body? Get ac- 
quainted with him and find out that he is true, and 
then you will not be afraid to trust him. I read in Heb. 
IS: 8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and 
for ever." That means the past, the present, and the 
future. That means just what it says. It was not put 
in the Bible simply to fill up the book; but to show us 
that we might have the privilege of coming to God and 
receiving what others have received from him. May God 
Almighty move on the hearts of men and women this 
morning, open their understanding and enable them to 
see what he can do for them. 

THE CREATOR ABLE TO HEAL. 

In creating man, God made him from the dust of the 
earth. God breathed into man's nostrils, and man be- 
came a living soul. This soul came from God, and will 
live as long as God lives. Now, if you buy a watch and 
it gets out of fix, you would not go to the shoemaker to 
get it fixed. You would take it to the man that made 
it. So, if you get sick, do not go to a doctor to get 



104 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

healed, go to the God that made you. Let us look back 
to the Garden of Eden. Can you imagine a drug-store 
there? I do not believe there was a wheel-chair there 
or crutches, or that there was any use for them. I do 
not believe there were sick people there. I believe that 
man and woman had good health. I believe that when 
they fell from God the devil imposed every imposition 
and affliction upon humanity that he had in his power 
from that time until now. The time Jesus Christ bowed 
his head on the cross and said, "It is finished," com- 
pleted the way for mankind to get rid of all these things 
that the devil has imposed upon us. And since that 
time, God Almighty has not added anything to the way, 
nor has he taken anything from it; but it stands the 
same; and we, as a people today have a right, through 
the blood of Jesus Christ, by the way of the cross, to 
touch the hem of his garment and receive the needed 
help. God's power is sufficient to deliver us. 

THE WAY OF HOLINESS. 

But there are some things we must do in order to 
reach heaven. Jesus knew it would be a difficult mat- 
ter for mankind, bound here in sin, in this wicked world, 
to find the way to God. It was necessary that there 
should be a way for man to get free from sin, so a way 
was promised through the prophet Isaiah. In the thir- 
ty-fifth chapter we read: "And an highway shall be 
there, and a way" ; God did not say "ways," there is 
just one way; "and it shall be called The way of holi- 
ness: the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be 
for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not 
err therein." Read also Titus 2:11: "For the grace 
of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, 
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this 
present world." Jesus was promised to make the way. 



DIVINE HEALING. 105 

Matt. 1:21, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou 
shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people 
from their sins" — not in them, but from them. 

Suppose you have a neighbor living by you. He is a 
good neighbor, but he has one fault: he gets drunk. A 
preacher comes into the community and holds a meet- 
ing. You hear that your neighbor is saved from drunk- 
enness. How can you know it? By watching him. If 
you never see him drunk, you are convinced that he is 
saved from drunkenness. Suppose you have a neighbor 
woman that steals; she is a natural born thief. Every 
time she visits you, she steals something. The husband 
and children watch her when she comes home, and re- 
turn the things that she has stolen from you. You hear 
that she has been saved from stealing. How do you 
know that she is saved? When she visits you again, 
you do not miss anything, and you are convinced she is 
saved from stealing. You have another neighbor living 
by you who is also a sinner. He attends the same meet- 
ing and you hear he is saved from sin. How do you know 
that he is saved from sin? You watch him and see that 
he sins no more. 

Is it necessary to be holy to travel on this way since 
God has named it the way of holiness? Some people 
say they do not believe in holiness. Let us see if you 
are on the way. Heb. 12: 14: "Follow peace with all 
men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the 
Lord." God wants you to be cleansed before you get 
on the way; not afterwards. Some people believe in 
getting in, and then trimming down. They must be 
trimmed down before they get in. Very few that will 
not measure up at the altar will measure up after they 
have begun to profess. 

OBSTACLES TO BE REMOVED. 

One time while I was holding meeting in a city, my 



106 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

company and I were invited to a place for supper. Both 
the husband and wife were sinners, and were very proud; 
but they loved the truth. After supper I asked the wife 
if she were going to meeting. She said she was not able 
to go, as she had sick-headache. Some of the company 
said, "We had to finish supper for her, as she was not 
able to finish preparing the meal." I said, "If we get 
down here and pray for you and God will heal your 
head, will you go to meeting and try to get saved?" 
She said she would. We knelt and prayed for her, and 
she was healed instantly in the presence of her unsaved 
husband. She went to meeting, and came to the altar. 
She had a gold ring on her finger. I showed her the 
third verse of the third chapter of First Peter, and told 
her what she would have to do. She did not get saved 
that night, and did not come back the next day; but the 
next night she again went to the altar. While I was 
trying to help another person at the altar, another brother 
talked to this sister. He insisted that she should be- 
lieve, that she had done all that she knew to do, and that 
God would save her. I was watching her. She was not 
saying a word, and seemed to be in deep meditation. 
He could not get her to profess. Finally she jerked the 
ring off her finger, threw it across the altar, the fire of 
God struck her soul, and she rose shouting. She knew 
what God's Word said, and she could not exercise faith 
over that ring. There is no use in trying to get your 
faith over something that is between you and God. Move 
the obstacle out of the way and your faith will take hold 
of his promise. 

They sent for Jesus when Lazarus was sick, but he did 
not get there until Lazarus had been buried four days. 
The sisters met Jesus, and said, "Had you been here, my 
brother had not died. Jesus replied, Where have you 
laid him? He shall live again.' They took Jesus to the 
tomb. He wept with them that wept, for he loved 



DIVINE HEALING. 107 

them. Jesus here set a wonderful example for us: how 
to sympathize with those who need sympathy, but not 
to compromise with them. Jesus loved Mary and 
Martha; he frequently visited them and their brother 
Lazarus. He showed his sympathy and love for them. 
Jesus required them to believe his word, for he said, 
"Take ye away the stone." He could have spoken the 
stone away, but he desired them to remove it. You may 
want help from God, my friend. Jesus loves you. He 
wept for you. He suffered that all sick and suffering 
humanity might come to the great healing fountain that 
flows from the heart of God, the fountain that heals all 
manner of diseases; but you must take away the stone. 
Whatever the stone may be, you must move it 

When they took away the stone from the tomb of 
Lazarus, did Jesus say, "Oh, Father, if it be consistent 
with thy will and to thy glory, if all the world will be- 
lieve, wouldst thou bring Lazarus forth?" No; he 
looked up into the heavens with the assurance that he 
was right with the Father and said, "I thank thee that 
thou hast heard me. And I know that thou hearest me 
always * * * Lazarus, come forth." Lazarus, bound with 
grave clothes, came walking out. Jesus said, "Loose 
him and let him go." 

If you know that you have met the conditions of God's 
Word and have moved the stone by doing what God said 
for you to do, then believe God. There is no power in 
man; man can not give you the needed help. God al- 
mighty can, but we must meet the conditions of his 
Word. If you want help from God, take away the stone. 
While we are trying to show you the way, take hold of 
God by faith. Ask him to help you. Make everything 
right that you can think of, or at least be willing to. God 
almighty will take the will for the deed until you have 
an opportunity to do what you have promised to do. If 
you have the opportunity and will not do it, a worse 



108 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

thing will come upon you. It is a dangerous thing to 
lie to God. Ananias tried it once and God killed him. 
God almighty wants you to get his fear upon your heart. 

DEPENDENCE ON THE PREACHER. 

A woman who had read my book called me to pray for 
her little boy. The child had very bad sores all over 
his head. His hair was about a foot long. The weather 
was very hot. Thinking she was a Christian, as she was 
a preacher's wife, I did not ask her any questions. But 
after I had prayed for the boy, I said, "Sister, I believe 
I would cut that long hair off; it irritates those sores and 
keeps his head so hot." She said, "God did not say, 
'Send for the preachers and cut the hair off.' Ke says 
to 'send for the elders and let them pray over them, 
anointing with oil and the prayer of faith shall save the 
sick.' Now I have sent for you; you heal him." I found 
out she made no profession of salvation. She had read 
my book and thought I could heal the boy. 

A great many people are this way. The preacher 
can not heal you. If you have not met the conditions of 
God's Word, you can not exercise faith in God, and 
can not receive healing. This may come pretty close 
to you. You must not think that you can exercise faith 
in God's promise, hold anything back from God, do as 
you please, and ask God to do what you want done. God 
has made the line; it is the New Testament; you must 
come over to God's line. He has made the way; you 
must come the Bible way to all the light you have. 
And the very moment you come right to the place where 
you can commit soul, body, and mind, into the hands of 
God, there is something in your soul that will take hold 
of God's promise and God will do what he has said he 
would do. It is a good idea to be prayed up before you 
come to the altar for healing. Too many come to the 
altar to get the preacher to pray them up so they can 



DIVINE HEALING. 109 

get healed. They get down to the altar in an uncon- 
cerned manner, watching those around them, and wish- 
ing that a certain one would lay hands on them, instead 
of calling on God to prepare them to receive what they 
desire. 

A few weeks ago I preached at Long Beach, Califor- 
nia, and a number came to the altar for healing. I no- 
ticed one man at the altar was singing. I came near 
telling him to get to business and go to calling on God. 
I did not speak to him personally, but said, "You that 
are at the altar get hold of God. This is an individual 
matter between you and God. See that you are right 
with God." The man kept on singing. When I came 
to him to pray for him, I said, "Do you believe God will 
heal you?" He answered, "I know it." I prayed for 
him and he sprang to his feet and began to rejoice. 
After I had prayed for a number, a sister called the 
people's attention and said, "This brother wants to tes- 
tify." The man testified that he had had tuberculosis 
of the bone, could scarcely pull himself up from a chair 
and could scarcely put his weight on his limbs; that 
God had completely healed him. He could now leap 
and jump as the lame man did at the gate of the temple. 
You see, he had prayed up before he had come to the 
altar. He did not have to pray. He had a song of 
praise in his soul. He was sure God was going to heal 
him. He felt more like singing praises to God for his 
healing than like praying for God to heal. Now, it is 
all right to sing if. you have the song there. But if you 
come- t-o. the -altar not prayed up, pay no attention to any 
one else. Do not depend on the preacher; throw your- 
self completely into God's hands. Call on him for wis- 
dom and ~. understanding that you may exercise faith in 
his promises. 

I have started for heaven. I have come around by 
this way this morning to get yon to go with me. Will 



110 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

you go? In order to go, you must meet the conditions 
of God's Word. The thing for you to do is to get your- 
self in position that God can use you. There is no one 
so insignificant but what he can be a light to the 
world, and an instrument in God's hands. If you are 
afflicted this morning, you can be healed and can be a 
light to those who know you, and a living witness for 
God. You should feel the responsibility upon you. 

PREVAIL IN PRAYER AND TRUST GOD. 

Jesus Christ, when he walked upon earth, set an ex- 
ample for mankind. His experience in the wilderness 
is an example for us, showing us how that we may tarry 
before God until we are able to resist the temptations 
and powers of sin, unbelief, and the impositions of the 
devil; help us to know God's will concerning us, and 
enable us to do it. The reason why a great many people 
do not get the things they desire from God, is because 
they do not stay long enough to get acquainted with him, 
are not interested enough about it. Some people have 
an idea that they are going to camp-meeting to be prayed 
for, and will be all right. You want to examine your 
soul on your way to the camp-meeting and after you 
get there. When you go to be prayed for, you want to 
go with the assurance in your soul that you have met 
every condition, and that God Almighty will let the 
heavens fall before he will fail to do that which he has 
promised. More such consecrations, more such faith, 
will bring about more miracles and more of the power 
of God and less reproaches upon the cause. Such people 
can be witnesses for God. 

Jesus tarried before God for forty days and nights, 
being tempted of the devil. When Jesus hungered, the 
devil said, "If thou be the Son of God." The devil knew 
that Jesus was the Son of God, but he wanted to get 
Jesus to try to perform a miracle for him. Jesus 



DIVINE HEALING. Ill 

said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by 
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of 
God." It was the God-wisdom in Jesus Christ 
that enabled him to defeat the devil. The wis- 
dom of God is what you need. You need the power of 
God in your soul in order to stand against temptation. 
When Jesus would not speak the stones into bread, the 
devil took him to a pinnacle of the temple, wanting him 
to jump off; again to the brink of a mountain, and 
showed to Jesus the whole world, and said, 'If thou wilt 
bow down and worship me, it shall be thine.' Many 
preachers are hindered today from having power with 
God and having their needs supplied. They bow down 
to the devil. They will not preach the full gospel. They 
are afraid the people will not supply their needs. My 
brother, look away from the people. Look to Jesus' 
promise in Matt. 28: 19, 20. He told you to teach them 
to observe all things that he had commanded you, and 
that he would be with you to the end of the world. 
When Jesus would not bow down to the devil, God ad- 
ministered to him through the angels. Preach the whole 
truth, preach it radically, and God almighty will take 
care of you. You may get hungry, but God will pro- 
vide something for you. It may not be cakes and pies, 
but it will be something that will satisfy your hunger. 
Let us read Jesus' promise: "Again I say unto you, 
That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any- 
thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of 
my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three 
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the 
midst of them." 

I remember one time I had been turned out because 
I would not compromise on the truth. I had walked for 
some distance and carried two heavy valises. I was hun- 
gry and tired and the road was muddy. I was a long 
Way from home > without money, and among strangers, 



112 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

At every house I came to I asked to stay all night, but 
was refused. The people would tell me that there was 
a man down the road that kept everybody. I finally 
reached the little village where the man lived, made in- 
quir} T , and was directed to his house. I told him what 
I desired. He said he did not know how they could 
keep me, as they had a very sick child; but that there 
was no use to tell me to go on for there was nobody 
on that road that would keep me. He said he would go 
in and see his wife. 

In the meantime I went down on my knees. I called 
my Lord's attention to the 28th chapter of Matthew, 
19th and 20th verses, and told him I was not there be- 
cause I would not preach the truth, but because I had 
preached it. I prayed that he would move on the wom- 
an's heart, and that she would let me stay all night, as 
I was hungry and tired. Soon the man came and said, 
"Come in." The woman was walking the floor with 
the sick child. The man asked me if I had had sup- 
per. I told him no, and that he need not get me any, 
as I just wanted room on his carpet to lay by the fire. 
He replied, "You must have supper. Wife, give me the 
baby and you fix him some supper." As she gave him 
the baby, I thought of the commission of the seventy. 
Without any explanation, I went to the child, laid my 
hands on it, and called on God Almighty to verify his 
promise and to heal that child for his glory. The child 
was healed instantly. The man and woman were back- 
sliders. They fell on their knees and called on God 
for salvation. He saved them. They rose and shouted, 
not only because their child was healed but because God 
had saved them. The neighbors knew that I had gone 
to the home. They heard the man and woman shouting, 
and becoming alarmed, ran in to see what was the mat- 
ter. Thev found that the power of God had been mani- 
fested in answer to prayer, that the sick child had been 



DIVINE HEALING. 113 

healed, and the two backsliders saved. We had a real 
good meeting before supper. The Lord opened up a way 
for me to hold a meeting in that community. God's 
power was manifested and others were saved and healed. 
God had sent me there in answer to seven days and 
nights of fasting and prayer. 

Brethren, if we will be true to God he will supply our 
needs. We may have to suffer some disadvantages and 
hardships, persecutions, those of our own household may 
forsake us, but God will supply our needs. This is not 
only for the ministers, but it is also for the church. In 
John 17:18 we hear Jesus saying to the Father, "As 
thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also 
sent them into the world." Jesus Christ was one man 
filled with God. The God-power worked through him 
and healed all manner of diseases. As God sent him into 
the world, he sent the church. The church is not com- 
posed of one man only, but of every saved man and 
woman on ear h; and as the God-power was manifested 
through Jesus Christ, so is it manifested through the 
church and his ministry in healing all manner of sick- 
ness and d'seases. The church of God represents Jesus 
Christ. God wants us, as saints and ministers, to prove 
our high profession to the world by being in a position 
that he can manifest his power through us. We find that 
he was glorified in this church. Are you a saint of God 
this morning? Are you a minister of God? Is God 
glorified in you? Is your greatest desire to do his will? 
Do you love him better than anything else, your own life? 
Then he is glorified in you. 

Salvation means more than just professing Christ 
and possessing nothing. Salvation means a cleansing. 
God will never pour the Holy Ghost in your soul until 
you are clean. If the devil does not know you are saved 
this morning, then you are in a bad condition. Do not 
think that the devil can not tell a saved man or woman. 



114 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

The tread of a sanctified man or woman gives the devil 
trouble on his throne. He can not understand them; he 
does not know why he can not deceive them. He de- 
ceived the first man and woman God ever made, and he 
is puzzled when he can not deceive a man or woman now. 
He will try you ; God will permit him to try you in many 
ways. We shall be purified and made white and tried 
as gold tried in the fire. 

DO NOT FALTER IN TRIAL. 

I once took charge of a missionary home, by request 
of the brethren. The home was to be run by faith. 
My wife was afflicted just as we were preparing to move. 
I left her at a brother's home, and moved my family; 
but I received a telegram to come back at once, as she 
was very low. I went and prayed for her, and she got 
better. I then went back to see after the children, but 
wife got worse, and they sent for me again. That time 
I determined to take her home with me. The Lord won- 
derfully touched her body and I started. I had to take 
her on a cot in the baggage-car. The car was very hot 
and we had to leave the door open. The cold wind blow- 
ing through chilled her till I had to put my overcoat 
over her. I worked very hard to keep the baggage that 
was piled up around from falling on her, and I became 
wet with sweat. The cold wind blowing through the car 
chilled me through. The morning after reaching home, 
I had rheumatism so bad that I could not walk. 

The time for an assembly meeting was set, and sev- 
eral ministers came to hold the meeting. My wife had 
sixteen ulcers on her limbs between her knees and toes. 
They would put us in rocking chairs in the front room 
before meeting; the hall was up-stairs and the s + eps went 
up in front of my door. People from town passing up 
the steps to meeting, would look in and laugh at us. My 
wife began to cry. I said, "What is the matter, mama?" 



DIVINE HEALING. 115 

She answered, "We will have to leave here. We can not 
stay here claiming to run this by faith, when neither of 
us can walk; the people are making fun of us." I said, 
"Cheer up; God is on the throne. He said we should 
be purified, made white, and tried. We are now in the 
crucible; God is taking us through a trial. There are 
but two pans for us to come out in: one is the gold pan 
and the other is the dross. He has no use for dross. 
It is the gold he wants, and, by the grace of God, I am 
coming out in the gold pan." Thank God, I did. I 
came out without a stiff joint or a crooked limb, for 
which I give God all the glory. I am fifty-six years old 
and have good use of myself. 

You must not get discouraged because of the tests. 
Do not think that because you have trials you have back- 
slidden, and do not backslide because you are tried. Do 
all you know to do; stand on God's word, claim the 
promises, and God will bring you out victorious. You 
can be a light to the world, a living witness for God, and 
an instrument in God's hands for helping others. If 
you falter and fail, give way to the persuasions of the 
devil, and are not healed, you often become a stumbling- 
block to the cause, and weaken the faith of others. God's 
power is the same that it was on the day of Pentecost. 
On that day one hundred and twenty that had tarried 
before him for nine days and nights were calling for 
that one thing that Jesus prayed for in the 17th chapter 
of John. They tarried till they got it. God's power 
was so manifested through them that three thousand were 
converted. They were all together, and had all things 
common, and they stood steadfast in the apostle's doc- 
trine. The Lord added to the church daily such as 
should be saved. 

He wants us to be the same today. The Lord does not 
want part of us trusting him for healing, and part of 
us clamoring for remedies. He wants us to be of one 



116 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

mind rnd of one accord, with our whole trust in him. 
When Peter and John met the lame man at the gate of 
the temple, they did not say, 'Sir, look on us. We will 
give you an electric shock with a battery; we will poul- 
tice your limbs ; we will wrap you in a hot cloth and pray 
the Lord to heal you.' They said, 'Look on us. Silver 
and gold we have none, but such as we have we give 
unto thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise 
up and walk.' Instantly the man's ankle-bones became 
strong, and he was healed. It was the power of God; 
it was faith in Christ, and nothing else. If you try 
remedies, you must have faith in them, and this hinders 
your faith in God. Jesus said, "If you have faith as a 
grain of mustard seed." It is not the size, it is not the 
quantity, but it is the quality. Mustard seed will not 
mix with anything. Unmixed faith touches the hem of 
His garment and brings the healing to you. 

Peter and John would not take honor to themselves; 
if they had done so, they could have had the applause 
of the people. Because they did not, they were put into 
jail. But the Spirit of God continued to preach the 
Word, moved on the hearts of five thousand men, and 
brought them to salvation. When Peter and John were 
turned out of jail, they told what had happened. They 
did not complain and murmur and seek sympathy, but 
they prayed for God to send the Holy Ghost, to stretch 
forth his hand to heal and to give them power that thev 
might preach the Word of God with boldness. The place 
was shaken where they were and they were all filled 
with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost led the people to 
consecrate, giving them to understand that what they 
owned belonged to God; they began to sell their pos- 
sessions and to throw them down at the apostles' feet. 
Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and he killed them. 
The fear of God came on the church. Hypocrites and 
hangers-on were knocked loose. God had a dean church, 



DIVINE HEALING, 117 

the church for which he prayed in the 17th chapter 
of John, .and his power was manifested through them 
as it was when Jesus Christ walked on earth. All man- 
ner of sickness and disease was healed. Multitudes of 
men and women were added to the Lord. 

CONSECRATION OF EARTHLY GOODS. 

God wants us today to be consecrated as they were. 
There are many people that are shorn of their power 
today because they withhold their means from God, 
hoard up their money, spend it to satisfy themselves, and 
let God's cause suffer. There are many who are not 
healed today because they rob God, laying up for the 
future and piling up money for their children. They 
go on suffering through this world, a stumbling-block 
to Christianity, failing to be a light to their children, 
and causing others to doubt God because they are not 
healed. God exhorts us through Jude to earnestly con- 
tend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. 
You can see in the fifth chapter of Acts what was once 
delivered to the saints. You can see how they got it: 
by giving all that they possessed to God. This does 
not mean that you should do as some are teaching: give 
all your means away and trust God for support; but it 
means that your life, your time, your talents, and your 
means be consecrated to God, that you live close enough 
to him that he can show you what you must give to carry 
the gospel to other souls. Think of the darkened sin- 
cursed souls that are perishing without God; souls that 
do not know anything about God and the privilege! 
granted them through the blood of his Son. You rob 
God and then think you will get healed. You can not 
do it. If you want anything from God, pay the price. 
Give what you promised God you would give. 

A certain man was impressed to give me a horse. He 
had plenty of horses, but would not give me one. Light- 



118 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

ing struck the horse. I wrote a certain individual to 
send the pastor of a certain church to the camp-meet- 
ing at Moundsville, that it was his duty, and he was 
plenty able to do so. I wrote to the pastor and told her 
to start by faith. The individual to whom I had written 
gave the minister fifty cents when she started. Before 
she reached the meetings lightning killed the man's fifty 
dollar cow. The next time I was in that community that 
individual who had withheld his means was down at the 
altar trying to get salvation. If there are any such 
persons here this morning who desire healing from God, 
covenant with him that you will do what you have prom- 
ised to do, that you and all you have belong to aim, 
and he will do what he has promised. May the fear of 
God rest upon you and enable you to come to him the 
Bible way. 



GOD RULES OVER ALL. 119 

God Rules over AIL 

In the Auditorium, Sunday afternoon, June 8, 
by H. A. Brooks. 

I thank God this afternoon for the privilege of speaking 
for a short time upon the subject of which we have 
just been singing — "What a mighty God we serve." The 
thought that is laid upon my heart as I stand before 
you, is the manifested fact from a scriptural standpoint 
that God rules in earth and sky. Now, there is a peo- 
ple in the world today who because of their exceeding 
wickedness seem to imagine that they are wholly inde- 
pendent of God. But, dear hearers, I want to assure 
you that such imaginations are vain, they are established 
upon false principles and therefore have no foundation 
in the Word of God. The wicked man has not escaped 
that all-seeing Eye, neither has he gotten so far away 
that the hand of the Great King does not rule over him. 
Indeed, he is as truly and surely under the hand and eye 
of God Almighty as is the true Christian. You may be 
surprised, and I trust seized with fear, when I tell 
you that even though you are a wicked man, yet you 
are still under the ruling power of God Almighty to 
such an extent that even your thoughts are not fashioned 
in your own mind without his consent, though they be 
contrary to his will even as they are contrary to your 
own good. 

Now you may understand me more plainly as I read 
from the Scriptures. I do not mean to establish the idea 
of predestination, that is, that some are born to be saved 
and others to be lost. But I would establish this fact, 
that God predestinated a way whereby all could be 
saved and wills that none should be lost. 

GOD AS A KING. 

We will now consider God's position as a King. Turn 
with me while I read some portion of the 47th Psalm: 



1*0 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

"Oh, clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God 
with the voice of triumph: for the Lord most high is 
terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. * * * Sing 
praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, 
sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth. 

* * * God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon 
the throne of his holiness." 

Here we learn that God is King of the whole earth. 
He reigneth over the heathen, and since this is true, 
tell me, my dear brethren, who does rule over the vile 
and wicked sinners of America? Are they beneath the 
heathen? Are they without a God? Have they no power 
or guide but themselves to pilot them through life? Ah! 
yes, they have a God who is a great King and he rules 
in earth and sky — they have not hid themselves from 
his presence; he knoweth the way that they take. God 
rules in the very lives and hearts of wicked men so that 
you can know for yourselves that no man can live inde- 
pendently of God, for he is a great King. As it is writ- 
ten, "O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou 
understandeth my thought afar off. Thou compassest 
my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all 
my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, 
lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast be- 
set me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 

* * * Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither 
shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into 
heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, 
thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, 
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there 
shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold 
me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the 
night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are 
both alike to thee." Psa. 139: 1-12. 

So plainly and so emphatically do these scriptures 



GOD RULES OVER ALL. 121 

assure us that no man can flee from the presence of God, 
for if he should take the wings of the morning and dwell 
in the uttermost parts of the sea, there the Lord would 
behold him. If he should ascend up into heaven, be- 
hold, God is there. If he should make his bed in hell, 
even there shall the penetrating gaze of the Almighty 
behold him. So my dear sinner friend, whither shall 
you flee from the presence of the Lord? Indeed, if you 
repent not, in the last great day you shall call for the 
rocks and mountains to fall upon you and hide you from 
the presence of his glory; but even all this shall be in 
vain: for he is a great king who rules in earth and sky. 
This language may sound strange to some of you now, 
but the apostle Paul declares that "at the appearance 
of Jesus Christ he shall show who is the blessed and only 
potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords." 1 Tim. 
6: 14. Moreover it is written that there is not any 
creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things 
are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with whom 
we have to do. Heb. 4: 13. 

Because of the mercy of God in sparing wicked men, 
and withholding from them his judgment against their 
evil they have become hard-hearted through the deceit- 
fulness of their sin, until some would even dare say there 
is no God. Were this so, what do you suppose might 
happen unto us and to this old world in a moment's 
time? The God who holds the sea in its bounds holds 
also the planets of his own creation in their order, so 
that according to his word we have the rising of the 
sun for a light by day, and the moon for a light by 
night. God still sits upon his throne, and rules in earth 
and sky. All creation, and nature itself, is subject unto 
the law of his will. ALL, I say, is subject unto his will 
save poor sinful mortal man; and though he forsake the 
law of the will of his Lord yet he is not without a law 
and a rule to reign over him. 



122 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY. 

As we look back over the annals of time, and call to 
remembrance the words of the prophets that a Savior 
would appear who would save his people from their sins, 
and then see how definitely it came to pass, we are made 
to imagine that God is still ruling in the midst of his peo- 
ple. It was said that this man Jesus would be cut off 
from the land of the living, and it truly came to pass. It 
was written that on the third day he would rise again, 
and this you yourselves already believe. The dark ages, 
in which millions of the true saints of God were martyred 
for the gospel's sake, have come and gone, and that 
according to their appointed time as it was spoken by 
the prophets. The cloudy and dark day appeared in 
its time, and then broke forth the true light of the gos- 
pel in the evening of time according to the word of the 
Lord. Now, where is he who imagines that God is not 
the ruler of the whole universe? Indeed, my brethren, 
"He rules in earth and sky." He is still the same Lord 
and King as he was when great King Nebuchadnezzar 
was subdued by him and learned for the first time that 
he was indeed a great King who ruled not only in heaven 
but also in the kingdoms of men. And now I say, does it 
not look as though he were indeed a great King, ruling 
over all the universe, when we see the minds of men 
subdued by his great power in order to so accurately 
fulfil all that he has spoken by the mouths of the 
prophets? Ah! all creation is still in the hand of God, 
and if you will not submit yourselves unreservedly unto 
his will for his glory and your own good, then bear in 
mind that whatsoever you sow that shall you also reap. 

"In a great house [God's great universe] there are 
not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood 
and of earth; and some to honor and some to dishonor: 
If a man, therefore, purge himself from these, he shall 
be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Mas- 



GOD RULES OVER ALL. 123 

ter's use, and prepared unto every good work." 2 Tim. 
2: 21. Since it is the privilege of man to be submissive 
in the hand of God as clay in the hand of the potter, 
he may lay himself pliable unto all the will of God that 
he may be formed by the hand of the great King into 
a vessel of honor. But if he will not yield submissively 
he shall be fashioned into a vessel of dishonor. 

Consider the deplorable condition of the heathen, and 
how it all came upon them. Let us now read, that we 
may more clearly understand why such darkness and 
misery has befallen them. Turn with me to Romans 1, 
beginning at the 19th verse: 

"Because that which may be known of God is mani- 
fest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 

"For the invisible things of him from the creation 
of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the 
things that are made, even his eternal power and God- 
head; so that they are without excuse: 

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified 
him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain 
in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was dark- 
ened. * * * 

"Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness 
through the lusts of their own hearts. * * * 

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their 
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to 
do those things which are not convenient; 

"Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, 
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, 
murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 

"Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boast- 
ers, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 

"Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without 
natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." 

Just think of such a great catalog of evil, and how it 
has all come about — just because they did not like to 



124 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

retain God in their knowledge. Doubtless had they 
harkened unto him they would have been fashioned into 
vessels of great honor. But they chose their own way, 
and then God gave them over to uncleanness because 
of the lusts of their own hearts, because of their pur- 
posed disobedience, regardless of what they knew to 
be the law and will of the Lord. 

Oh, how men ought to fear God! This is the whole 
duty of man; fear God and keep his commandments. 
When I behold a poor sinner at the close of life just 
about to reap his eternal reward my heart is filled with 
great sorrow, and I would to God that I could get this 
lesson before you in such a way that it might never be 
forgotten. 

THE WICKED FULFIL GOD^ WORD. 

To prove from the Scriptures some of the strong, 
and perhaps strange, assertions I have made, especially 
such as the fact that God rules the mind of the wicked, 
even as he does that of the humble and contrite in spirit: 
Do you know that the lives of wicked men have often 
increased my confidence and faith in the Word of God? 
I mean this: I have seen them in their wickedness and 
hatefulness fulfilling portions of the Scriptures which 
often I had read. So now I have reached what to me 
appears as a strong point in my discourse, and surely 
it is the climax or crowning thought of my whole les- 
son; the fact that both the good people, and also the 
wicked ones, are constantly busy fulfilling the Word of 
God. 

Those who are saved are inspired by the Spirit of the 
Lord to fulfil such portions as will bring to themselves 
at the last day a rich reward for all they have done. 
They are being fashioned into vessels of honor in the 
great house of God. But sad indeed is it to say, that 
those who will not submit themselves to the will of 



GOD RULES OVER ALL. 125 

God are just as busy as the saints of God, fulfilling such 
portions as will bring upon themselves a just recom- 
pense of reward for their evil deeds in the last great 
day. Being self-willed and stubborn, they could only 
be fashioned into vessels of dishonor. So I say, they 
who are spiritual can clearly behold the fulfilling of 
all the Word of God; every one according to the con- 
dition of his heart fulfilling such portions as will bring 
upon himself that which the righteous Judge shall count 
just, according to their works. 

Now to prove these sayings let us turn to John 15 : 24. 
In reading this we learn that after Jesus spoke to the 
people, they hated him. Doubtless this hatred was in 
their hearts before they manifested it. But for what 
reason did they hate him? Of a truth they had no 
cause to hate him, and Jesus was addressing them for 
their own welfare, but they rejected his counsel, and 
God seeing they would not obey that which was good, 
could only use them to fulfil that which was evil. So he al- 
lowed that hatred to remain in their hearts. Just think, 
He allowed it — the God of heaven allowed it — and that 
for a purpose. But now you may wonder for what pur- 
pose he did allow it. Well, perhaps for more than one. 
In the first place, man is a free moral agent. They would 
not give up their hatred, so God just let it remain, 
that in them might be fulfilled the portion of the Scrip- 
tures which saith, "They hated me without a cause." 
Just think, what a sad thing these poor people have 
done — fulfilled the Word of God against themselves unto 
their own condemnation, moved by hatred; yet we can 
not imagine they Were conscious of what they were 
doing. 

But did their evil stop here? No. As long as they 
had hatred in their hearts their evil continued, and God 
saw to it that they kept on fulfilling some portion of 
his Word. We read that the result of this hatred was 



126 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

that Jesus was arrested, and Pilate, willing to release 
him, spake again to them, but they in their blindness, 
cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him," not knowing that 
they were now fulfilling the words of their own prophets 
who had said, "He shall be cut off from among the liv- 
ing." Doubtless they just spoke out their minds, as they 
supposed, according to what seemed to be their better 
judgment, not knowing that One who was mightier than 
they was allowing their action. Pilate then said unto 
them, "Take ye him and judge him according to your 
law." But they cried out again, saying, "It is not law- 
ful for us to put any man to death." See how in their 
hatred they desired the Son of God to be put to death. 
But the question now arises, Why say they this? This 
saying by them was permitted that the saying of Jesus 
might be fulfilled which he spake signifying what death 
he should die. (Read John 18:32.) But like all sin- 
ners, these poor men were not conscious of what they 
were doing; for Jesus himself said in his prayer for 
them, "Father, they know not what they do." So I 
want to say to you, poor lost souls, take heed lest you 
know not what you are doing. 

I want to show you still more plainly from the Scrip- 
tures how completely these wicked men who rejected 
the Word of God were used in fulfilling the same. We 
read that after Jesus was crucified, some wicked soldiers 
came along and, seeing his garments, they wondered 
what they might do with them; then they decided to 
divide them among themselves; but when they came to 
his coat, they found it was without seam, woven from 
the top throughout. Now comes the question, what 
shall they do with it? Shall they tear it up, or shall 
one of them claim it as his own? Do you suppose God 
has anything to do with the counsel of such wicked 
men? — -doubtless a band of thieves taking that which 
does not belong unto them? Yes, God was present. 



GOD RULES OVER ALL. 127 

He was in their midst, and in a moment's time He fash- 
ioned one of their minds to cry out and say, 'Let us not 
rend it, but cast lots whose it shall be/ and immediately 
they all consented. But, dear hearers, be it understood 
that all this came to pass that the Scripture might be 
fulfilled which saith, "They parted my raiment among 
them, and for my vesture they did cast lots." See how 
wonderfully accurate, though they were wicked at heart, 
they have fulfilled these scriptures; nor did they cease 
here. 

As the bodies of those who were crucified with Jesus 
hung on the cross, the Jews remembered that it was 
not good that they should remain there over the Sab- 
bath, that being an high day, so they besought Pilate 
that their legs should be broken, and that they should 
be taken down. The soldiers came to the place where 
they were, and break the legs of the first, and of the 
other which was crucified with him; but when they 
came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they 
break not his legs. How strange this might seem to 
some. They were sent to break the legs of them all; 
why now do they not do as they were commanded? 
However, as they stand there looking, one of them takes 
a notion in his mind, as he supposed, to pierce the side 
of Jesus with a spear. So with his cruel hand he per- 
forms the wicked act. His heart is full of hatred. He 
may be one of the rabble that cried out, "Crucify him, 
crucify him," but now he is being used in fulfilling the 
Word of the Lord which he himself vehemently re- 
jected. Now in all they break not his legs, but they 
pierced his side; and this all came to pass that the 
Scriptures should be fulfilled, which testified that "a 
bone of him should not be broken." Again another 
Scripture saith, "They shtll look on Him whom they 
pierced." 

"Now, dear brethren, after hearing these truths, are 



128 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

you not made to wonder at how God is ruling this universe 
of his? Does not fear take hold of your souls as you 
see how he is fashioning every life to fulfil his Word, 
according to the attitude of heart which it holds toward 
his will ? When I behold by the light of God's Word 
his majesty and power, I am made to fear and to 
wonder if some who have listened to my voice this 
afternoon, might by their own choice, by necessity, be 
fashioned to fulfil such portions of Scripture as will 
result in their own condemnation in the last great day. 

TAKE HEED. 

Take heed that none of you hate the Lord, and that 
without a cause. It is a serious matter to turn away 
from that which you know to be right unto that which 
you deliberately know to be wrong. It is a dreadful 
condition, and if you could see and know the result of 
such an act, there might not be one soul here today that 
would turn against the God of heaven, who so much 
loves us all. 

Now, in conclusion, turn with me to 2 Timothy 3d 
chapter. I am going to read here about certain things 
which the Scriptures determine will come to pass in 
the last days. I sincerely hope that none of you who 
are present this afternoon may be used in fulfilling such 
portions of prophecy. I am persuaded that God wants 
you to know these things, for the apostle begins the 
chapter with these words: "This know al>o, that in the 
last days * * * men shall be lovers of their own selves." 
Dear saints, would you like to fulfil such as this? You 
say no. Well, neither need you do so. 

It is also written here that men would be covetous, 
boasters, proud, blasphemers, without natural affection, 
false accusers, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of 
God. Moreover, the Lord himself has told us that be- 
cause iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax 



GOD RULES OVER ALL. 129 

cold. Now I want to impress upon your minds that 
these words, "shall wax cold/' are words of prophecy; 
and by whom shall they be fulfilled? Shall it be the 
lot of any who have listened unto my voice this after- 
noon? My soul is made to say, "God forbid." Never- 
theless, it shall come to pass, yet not by the desire 
of God, but by men's own free will. 

May God enable you to never forget these words of 
truth. Let us bear in mind that all men are busy fulfil- 
ling the Word of God, either unto their own eternal 
welfare, or else unto their own eternal damnation; 
the Lord is a great King over all the earth. 



130 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



Loss and Profit. 

In the Auditorium, Sunday evening, June 8, 
by Orval Line. 

In Matt. 16:24-26, we read, "Then said Jesus unto 
his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him 
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For 
whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whoso- 
ever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For 
what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, 
and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in 
exchange for his soul?" 

In the text before us for consideration tonight are 
two points that I desire to call your attention to in par- 
ticular: one is profit; the other is loss. We shall con- 
sider the loss first that the thought of profit may be left 
on your minds in the conclusion. There is but one point 
to consider on the side of loss and that is sin, for sin 
is the cause of the loss of every soul. Search the Scrip- 
tures from Genesis to Revelation and you will find but 
one thing that will separate a soul from God, destroy 
life in this world and in the world to come, and that 
is sin. Possibly you have never looked upon your life 
of sin as a loss, but I am quite certain that if you will 
carefully consider the thoughts as they are presents 
you will see that there is nothing promised in sin but 
loss. There is not a victory promised in sin; not one. 
The only thing that sin promises is defeat, disappoint- 
ment, and ruin. I can not understand why people will 
waste their lives in sin when there is nothing promised 
in return but ruin. 

LOSS IN THIS LIFE. 

Sin is a loser in this life; there is absolutely noth- 
ing to be gained. Our servant stood before us this 
morning and told us of the wretchedness of his former 



LOSS AND PROFIT. 131 

life in sin. We can surely see that you and I (from 
a standpoint of intelligence) should shun, abhor, and 
flee, from every sinful thing. I do not see where you 
get your inspiration to run in a race that, before start- 
ing, you know means defeat and ruin. Says one, "I did 
not know it was that way." The Bible tells us that 
the wages of sin is death. Sinner, did you ever care- 
fully consider that your promised wages is death? You 
may serve sin long and faithfully, but your miserable 
wages remain the same as promised. 

Some people take the loss of life very indifferently; 
surely they fail to comprehend the enormity of the loss. 
Oh, the terrors of a misspent life! Some people think 
that they will lose some good things when they become 
Christians. I used to think that way myself; I discov- 
ered later that I had been mistaken. I thought at one 
time that it was all right to live in sin. I am persuaded 
now that a thing that is unsafe to die in is unfit to live 
in. On every hand we have the testimony that sin is 
a loser in this life. Oh, what a loss ! If tonight we 
could lift the curtain from the infernal machinery that 
was invented alone to destroy the souls of men and 
women, see the deplorable condition of mankind, I am 
sure this would be a convincing sight. 

Take a survey of the haggard faces and dissipated 
lives about you and can you fail to recognize the fact 
that sin is an awful loss? Go wilh me to the prisons 
of our land; look through those cold iron bars at those 
haggard faces that at one time were symbols of inno- 
cency and purity but now are furrowed by sin. Once they 
sang their hopes in childish glee, but now they curse 
the very day they were born. Ask them of their hopes; 
they have none; they are simply waiting for death to 
relieve them of their awful condition. They may at one 
time have had as noble a purpose in life as you and I 
have, but they trusted their lot to sin, and it ruined 



132 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

them. Go to the almshouses; look at those who have 
squandered their lives, are afflicted in body and mind, 
are half-witted, and many longing for death to come 
to their relief. What is the cause of all these human 
woes? Sin. Let us next visit the rescue home; see 
those pale faces. Those eyes that once sparkled have 
been dimmed by long nights of revelry. Faces that were 
once fair, and hopeful, are now furrowed by sorrow, 
degradation, and regret. Ask them why it is so; they 
may give many reasons, but, the Lord bless your soul, 
sinner, sin is at the bottom of it all. Go to the hospi- 
tals that are increasing and enlarging every year; walk 
up and down those long corridors; at all hours of night 
and day you will hear the muffled cries of those suffer- 
ing the pangs of disease. They scream out in their 
sleep; their dreams haunt them. They pray for death, 
but death will not come; they know nothing but dis- 
tress and anguish. The cause of it all is sin. Sin, di- 
rectly or indirectly, is the cause of every heartache, every 
pain, every human woe. 

We are very careful to figure the profit and subtract 
the loss before entering into business. If the loss ab- 
sorbs the profit we will not enter such a business. If 
we could find a business where it is all profit and no 
loss, every man that is able would invest in it. Now 
if we are so careful in temporal matters, does it not 
occur to you that we should be much more careful \v 
matters pertaining to eternity? Sinner, you are in a 
business that has no profit, but all loss. If it were a 
temporal matter, you would forsake it as soon as possi- 
ble; why not be as wise in eternal things and forsake 
sin forever? May God call forth your better judgment 
tonight and give you the power to act upon it because 
you know by experience that there is no profit in sin. 
We have but one life to live; do not squander, waste, 
and barter, it away. Come and invest your life in Christ, 



LOSS AND PROFIT. 188 

where there is not a regret, not a loss, but where all is 
profit. 

LOSS AT DEATH. 

A life of sin is a total loss at death. It will not be 
long until you all will feel the chilly hand of death; its 
turbulent waters will dash at your poor, feeble feet; 
your cherished hopes will then have fled; your vision of 
this world with its pleasures will fade away; some kind 
friend will wipe the death dew from your brow and close 
your glassy eyes. I ask you, sinner, in the fear of God, 
can you then point to one profit in your life of sin? 
The Scripture likens sin unto sinking sand and miry 
clay. In the trying ordeal of death you will find no 
power to support you, but at the very time you most need 
help it will sink away and leave you to your ruin with- 
out time, without opportunity, and without God. Oh 
what a loss ! 

An infidel, a member of a club whose purpose was 
to refute the Bible, had been bold in his speaking against 
Christ and His doctrine. He made his boasts of his 
knowledge and research. He sneered at the ignorance, 
as he called it, of the Christians. One day he became 
suddenly ill. Physicians were called and they told him 
that he could live but a few hours. He became very 
nervous and alarmed. His fellow infidels heard of his 
sickness and state of mind, and, thinking that he might 
renounce his former position, they offered him much en- 
couragement. The main point in their encouragement 
was this: stand by that which you have believed fr- 
years. The poor dying man looked up into the faces of 
his friends and said, "I would gladly stand by it, but 
can you not see that I have absolutely nothing to stand 
by?" That is the very nature of sin: it has no power 
to support you when you need it most. Will you let this 
be your unhappy experience in the hour of death — *noth- 



134 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

ing to stand on but sinking sand ? Sinner friend, can you 
point me to any profit as you behold these solemn truths ? 
For me, as one of old has said, Give me not an uncer- 
tainty for a dying pillow. 

LOSS AT THE JUDGMENT. 

Sin is a loser at the judgment. Methinks as I look 
out on this world, that I hear the trumpet sound; the 
busy cares of life are dropped and we all assemble be- 
before the majesty of Him that sits on his eternal throne. 
Oh. think of the awful sight! You have wasted your life 
in sin. At the judgment you take your stand on the left 
hand. The books are opened, one name after another is 
called out in solemn accents, the last page is reached, 
the last name is called, and your name fails to appear 
in the book of b'fe. You would then give the world, yea, 
a thousand worlds, were they in your possession, if your 
name were only there. Why not give up the world now 
and receive the assurance that your name is writtrr 
there ? 

LOSS IX ETERNITY. 

Sin is a loss throughout eternity. After the judg- 
ment you will take your departure to the place that was 
prepared for the devil and his angels. You will have all 
eternity to think this question over; you will have lots 
of time but no opportunity to change your condition. 
The rich man was tormented in the flame; he remem- 
bered, and he cried, but no help could be given. The 
great gulf was fixed, and there was no hope of crossing; 
it. He had fared sumptuously in this world; he had had 
all that heart could wish, but the last account we have 
of him he was begging, begging for just a little water. 
Oh how poor ! Oh, what loss ! He gained the world, 
but he lost his poor soul. God help us tonight to con- 
sider our choice, as we look up and down the corridors 



LOSS AND PROFIT. 135 

of despair, where infidels, degenerates, liars, thieves, 
murderers, rich and poor, high and low, all mingle their 
fruitless cries which bring back to them only the echoes 
from the walls of eternity. I believe we have fairly 
considered loss and I do not believe that any one has 
yet seen a shadow of a profit in sin. 

PROFIT IN THIS LIFE. 

I now desire to call your attention to the profit de- 
rived from a life of righteousness. The first point that 
suggests to me that serving God is profitable is this: 
God demands of us a life of righteousness. He loves us, 
and would therefore demand nothing of us but what is 
for our good. God so loved us that he sent his only 
begotten Son to this sin-cursed and benighted world to 
redeem man from sin and to reunite him to himself. He 
prepared a place for us to dwell with him through eter- 
nity. We can readily see that he would only demand 
the doing of those things that are for our profit. Is it 
not strange that men will leave the God that loves them 
to serve that old archfiend that hates every good that 
ever came to mankind and whose only object is to drag 
them down to ruin? Can you call to mind one thing 
that God demanded in your life that was not the best for 
you? Yea, search the whole world and you can not find 
one thing that God demanded that is in any way agai 
your interests. 

People generally pick up a great many things while 
in sin that God demands them to forsake when they 
come to him. Sometimes we may think that the de- 
mands of God are severe, but when we get through we 
always feel thankful that they are just as they are. By 
my own experience I know this to be true. I thought 
that I never would be able to give up the filthy habit 
of tobacco ; I tried in my own strength and failed. When 
I came to the Lord I found it written, "Having there- 



186 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

fore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our- 
selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfect- 
ing holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor. 7:1. I was 
willing to give it up if the Lord would only deliver me 
from the appetite. I threw the tobacco away, and praise 
God ! it went forever. I have never wanted it since. 
When I see that awful habit polluting the atmosphere, 
diseasing the body, and dragging the soul down to hell, 
I think, Who is it that would not appreciate deliverance? 
Thank God, I am free and free indeed. The Lord will 
do the same for you if you are under the power of that 
or any other habit, when you decide to give it up. 

Not long since, while riding along the streets of a 
certain city, I saw some of the most ridiculously dressed 
ladies I ever saw in my life. Their clothing was so nar- 
row that if they would have had to run to save their 
lives, they surely would have perished. I thought, then, 
What sensible lady would not appreciate deliverance 
from the bondage of such ungodly, unhealthy, immodest 
styles? Mothers and sisters in Israel, do you not con- 
sider it a great gain to be free from the tvrannical hand 
of the goddess of fashion? I am sure that if I should 
ask for an expression every saved lady in this auditorium 
would thank God that he ever demanded her to give up 
the world and worldly conformity. "Be not conformed 
to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of 
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and ac- 
ceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2. Some 
people do not like the plain, narrow wav. but I am glad 
that it is just as narrow as it is; I would not make it an 
inch wider if I could. You will never get to heaven with 
the world strapped on your shoulders; the Lord has a 
better way: a healthy body, a clear mind, and a re- 
joicing heart. I am quite sure that if the mothers and 
sisters of this fair land could visit the institutions for 
the maintenance of the feeble minded, and see the crip^ 



LOSS AND PROFIT. W 

pled and idiotic children that often are the sacrifices to 
the ungodly fashions of our day, they would rise up as 
one mighty army against them. O Lord, hasten the 
day when good common sense will prevail. 

If there was nothing beyond the grave, no eternity of 
bliss at the right hand of God, I should consider salva- 
tion the most profitable thing to devote my life to. When 
I look into the faces of my children, my wife, my fa- 
ther, my brothers in the flesh, and the thousands of 
brethren in Christ, I can not help but praise God for the 
influence of salvation on my life. When I go into a 
home where sin reigns, and see an old pipe on the man- 
tle, a decanter on the buffet, the house scented with the 
mingled fumes of tobacco and liquor, the husband snappy 
and cross, wounding the feelings of his wife, the chil- 
dren fearing the wrath of a beastly father; and on the 
other hand I see the refining influence of the gospel 
which renovates the home and brings the children up in 
the nurture and admonition of the Lord, I can not but ap- 
preciate the value of salvation. Sinner, can you not see 
that salvation is very profitable? 

A few years ago in a certain city a revival-meeting 
was being conducted. During an evening service a man 
came straggering into the house and down the aisle to 
the altar. Prayer was offered and the Lord rebuked the 
influence of the liquor, and saved the man's soul. The 
poor man was elated over his new-found victory and was 
very anxious for his wife to know of his experience. But 
he had often made a mockery of Christianity when in- 
toxicated, so he invited the minister home with him so 
that his testimony would be confirmed. On the way 
home he explained how his home had been ruined, and 
that he now wanted to be reconciled. His explanation 
was complete and they arrived at the door. The newly 
converted man opened the door and stepped in, leav- 
ing the minister to follow. The husband's presence 



138 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

struck terror to that home — the wife unlocked the rear 
door, the children crawled under the bed; but the hus- 
band with tear-filled eyes said, "Wife, I was saved to- 
night." She said, "John, I am afraid of you; you have 
deceived me so many times." The minister assured her 
that John was sincere. That family, that night, was 
united, husband and wife repeated their former vows, 
a family altar was erected, and a home once ruined 
became one of order and prayer. I consider that man's 
life in sin a total loss and you will agree with me that 
salvation was great gain. 

Salvation is profitable because it is the only thing that 
completely satisfies the soul. Man has tried persistently 
to find something that would take the place of salva- 
tion, but with all of his efforts he has met with little or 
no success. His way of finding satisfaction always leads 
into bondage and only increases his cravings. All over 
our land are storehouses filled with those things by 
which man hopes to satisfy himself. In Louisville. Ky., 
you pass square after square covered with tobacco store- 
houses. What large city can you visit and fail to find 
breweries and distilleries? Thousands of barrels are 
the monthly product. Man hopes by these to find true 
satisfaction, but alas, it is ruin instead. Four hundred 
million dollars is spent annually for tobacco. With 
all that enormous expense, which many need for food and 
clothing, it only intensifies the cravings and debauchery 
of humanity. In the creation of man God reserved a 
place in his heart for himself. Mankind has tried to 
fill that place with rubbish, such as pipes, tobacco, snuff, 
morphine, worldly aspirations, and the pride of life; 
but from beneath it all you can hear the voice of the 
soul calling. Many have tried to hush this voice but it 
incessantly is calling, for God alone can satisfy. I have 
heard people say that they would give the world if they 
could only be satisfied. That is just what it requires: 



LOSS AND PROFIT. 139 

give up the world, give up your sins, come to Christ, and 
you will find that which your soul craves. 

PROFIT AT DEATH. 

Salvation is profitable at death. Salvation is the only 
thing that we can enjoy in this world and also in the 
world to come. It is good to live by and good to die by. 
Your influence, money, friends, will be left behind when 
you leave this world; your bank account will be given 
to another, your name will be erased from the deed to 
your farm, and another name attached. Friends can 
accompany you to the brink of the river, but salvation 
will go all the way. Salvation has proved its value at 
the stake, at the rack, in the arena, at the chilly hour 
of death, and has always proved its sterling quality. It 
has stood the test for almost two thousand years and it 
will stand the test to the last one of Adam's race. I 
have trusted it in life; and, by the grace of God, I shall 
trust it in death. 

PROFIT AT THE JUDGMENT AND IN ETERNITY. 

Salvation will be profitable at the judgment. When 
you shall have crossed the river of death, and stand 
before the bar of God, salvation will again prove its 
value. When we hear those words, "Come, ye blessed 
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world," oh, what an incal- 
culable profit it will be. When those books are opened 
and our names are found written in the Lamb's book of 
life, would you then exchange your place for the world? 
The multi-millionaire would give his millions, yea, this 
whole world would be an insignificant and contemptible 
price. Would the pleasures of sin tempt you then? Oh, 
how inestimable are the blessings of salvation. After I 
have walked the golden streets a million years I will be 
unable to tell you its total value. 



140 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

It will only be a short time until friends will wip« 
the death dew from your brow, the scenes of this life 
will fade away, eternity will loom in view. Choose you 
this day whom you will serve. Will it be sin in life, 
sin at death, sin at the judgment, and torments in eter- 
nity? or righteousness in this life, righteousness at death, 
righteousness at the judgment, and an eternity of un- 
speakable joy and pleasure? As for me and my house 
we will serve the Lord. "For what is a man prof- 
ited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own 
soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?" 
Amen. 



GOD'S PURPOSE TO SAVE THE WORLD. 141 



God's Purpose to Save the World. 

In the Auditorium, Monday morning, June 9. 
by Nora Hunter. 

I feel like preaching this morning, first because God 
has called me to preach, and second because God has 
given me a message. 

For quite a long while my way has been hedged up 
so that I could see no way open to preach the gospel. 
Satan hindered Paul, and he has hindered me. I felt 
such a desire to work for Jesus, and was so burdened 
over my circumstances that I scarcely knew what to do. 
I finally made this decision: though I am a woman, and 
my circumstances are peculiar, by the grace of God I will 
preach the gospel. As soon as I made the decision, God 
began working in a marvelous way, and soon my hands 
were untied. Praise God! I am not anxious to get in 
the pulpit; yet I am willing to do that, but I especially 
love to work privately with the oppressed and down- 
cast. 

If any of you here have bands and straps holding you 
from the work your soul longs to do, be encouraged; we 
will pray God to loose you from straps, bands, burdens, 
and debts. All the church arc agreed for ycm that 
God will open the way and give you a door of ut- 
terance sb that you may accomplish his purpose in this 
world. 

My soul is so happy that I feel like flying away to 
the glory world, but I am glad to stay with the church 
on earth, not only to enjoy the good things, but to share 
in the battles and conflicts as well. The church has many 
conflicts, but so sure as she has a battle, so sure she has 
a glorious victory, for Jesus is her leader and he knows 
no defeat. 

For our lesson this morning we shall read part of the 



142 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

60th chapter of Isaiah. "Arise, shine; for thy light is 
come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." 
Verse 1. 

Thank God, the glory is seen upon his people today, 
not only upon individuals when they pass victoriously 
through the deep sorrows and trials of life, but upon 
every assembly in the world where Jesus is worshipped 
in the beauty of holiness, this glory can be seen. Over 
twenty years ago I saw this glory manifested in the 
assembly of the saints; it made me hungry for salvation; 
and ere long I was saved. 

Christ's glory and work bequeathed to us. 

When Jesus left this earth, he bequeathed us his glory, 
and the devil has never been able to stamp it out of 
existence. This glory does not consist in wild demon- 
strations and unseemly actions, although it may cause 
some to shout aloud the praises of God, and to leap for 
joy, while others weep or laugh. Sinners can often see 
it upon us as we meet and worship Jesus. God intends 
that sinners should see this glory upon the assembly of 
his people. There are some who have not seen this 
glory; their eyes are blinded and the gross darkness of 
this world has deceived them. May God in pity open 
their spiritually blind eyes. The Lord does not give us 
the glory to have for our own personal enjoyment alone, 
but that we may fill his divine purpose. 

Have you learned what God's purpose is? When 
Jesus was in the world he saved as many as would be- 
lieve on him. Now he has departed and his work has 
become our work; his purpose is our purpose — to save 
the world. 

The devil also has a purpose — to destroy the world. 
The first prayer and purpose of a new-born soul is for 
the salvation of a neighbor, a friend, a brother. The 
devil's purpose is to destroy the zeal of God's people, and 



GOD'S PURPOSE TO SAVE THE WORLD. 143 

to make them feel at ease while souls are sinking all 
around them. 

God could have sent angels into the world to preach 
the gospel, but he chooses rather to save the world 
through a God-sent, Spirit-filled, human ministry. The 
work of this ministry is to preach the truth that gath- 
ers God's people from confusion and strife, and brings 
hard-hearted sinners from every walk of life into the one 
fold where they dwell in unity. We have a living illus- 
tration of this in the auditorium today. Here are hun- 
dreds of men and women from the United States and 
from foreign countries. They are here in the unity of 
the Holy Spirit, they stand for the truth in its purity, 
their hearts are aflame with the love of God, and with 
his divine purpose to save the world. 

If we follow Christ's footsteps our hearts will be 
touched with compassion for those who are lost in dark- 
ness and sin. When Jesus' compassion was stirred for 
the multitude, he fed them. We must do likewise. If we 
constantly seek for the blessings to come our way, and 
do not diligently share up with our fellow men, we will 
grow lean in our souls and will finally lose the grace 
of God. We do not have to look far to find sin-darkened 
souls, for they are all around us. "For, behold, the 
darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the 
people : but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory 
shall be seen upon thee." Verse 2. 

The darkness spoken of here is, of course, spiritual 
darkness, and is prevalent all over the world; the light 
of the church but shines brighter because of this dark- 
ness. Let us read who is going to accept and walk in 
this light. 

god's purpose to save multitudes. 

"And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings 
to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round 



144 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they 
come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy 
daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt 
see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be 
enlarged ; because of the abundance of the sea shall be 
converted unto thee; the forces of the Gentiles shall 
come unto thee." Verses 3-5. 

Here are great promises to the church. We should not 
minimize God's purpose by thinking that he intends to 
save only a very few, for we have a promise here of 
"kings," "sons and daughters," "abundance of the sea" 
and "forces of the Gentiles," coming and being converted. 
Praise God! Does it stagger our faith to talk of kings 
and presidents being converted? Lord, increase our 
faith. 

How encouraging the promise of our "sons" and 
"daughters." I am much encouraged to expect the sal- 
vation of our children. Sometimes I meet with a dear 
friend's or fellow minister's son or daughter for whom 
I have prayed a long time, and am pleasantly surprised 
to find them saved and preaching the gospel. My heart 
is agreed in prayer for the gathering in of our precious 
children. Though they have wandered "far," God says 
they "shall come." Let us claim the promise. 

The conservation of the natural resources of our coun- 
try attracted wide attention when Mr. Roosevelt was 
president. Conservation is a good thing in the church 
of God. Some of our boys and girls are capable of fill- 
ing places of honor in the world and the world recog- 
nizes this, and offers them many inducements. Let us 
do our best to conserve them, with all their energy and 
strength, for God. 

When we find a brother or a sister who is cast down 
and discouraged, let us not conclude that because they 
have stumbled so much it is of no use to try to help 
them, and abandon them to their hopeless state. Souls 



GOD'S PURPOSE TO SAVE THE WORLD. 145 

who have floundered much, when once established are 
useful in helping others. Let us patiently labor to con- 
serve these dear souls for God. 

We, as the church of God, have forces to conserve that 
we are not aware of, and only prayer can help us to find 
them. To illustrate, I will relate the experience of 
Brother and Sister J. W. Byers. The Lord gave them 
this promise: "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the hea- 
then for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of 
the earth for thy possession." Psa. 2: 8. They at once 
began praying God to open the spiritual eyes of mis- 
sionaries who had gone to foreign fields but were not 
properly enlightened as to the true way; also to help 
them to come in contact with any such sincere mission- 
aries. In a marvelous way God answered their prayer 
and opened the way for them to correspond with Brother 
and Sister Jarvis, who at that time were caring for many 
famine sufferers, and whom the Holy Spirit was estab- 
lishing in the light just as we enjoy it today. Praise 
God ! We can but marvel at the way God works to unify 
his people and to thus fulfil his purpose, even the sal- 
vation of the world. 

god's purpose op church unity. 

Let us not overlook this portion of the Scripture: 
"Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart 
shall fear, and be enlarged." This sweet unity is found 
in the church today. My spiritual weight is light, but 
with all tne weight I have, I stand solidly for peace and 
unity. We can be in unity in name, embrace the same 
doctrines, and yet not be in the unity of the Spirit. Pow- 
erful as God is, he can not save the world through a di- 
vided church. We must stand in unity; we do stand in 
unity. Is that too strong? No! There may be some 
dear souls who are not in unity of doctrine, but if they 
keep submitted to God, and stand in the unity of the 



146 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Spirit, unity in doctrine will be the inevitable. The 
church is not only one in name and doctrine, but she is 
a unit to practise unity, to demonstrate unity to the 
world. It cost the life of Jesus to destroy division and 
to introduce heart unity into the world. It may cost you 
and me something to keep this sacred unity. It may 
cost us some bitter tears, some agonizing before God to 
get self, personal opinions, and ideas submitted, for we 
are exhorted to 'endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit 
in the bond of peace.' 

We may have some opinions about different matters, 
but if we keep them submitted, and do not contend over 
them, we can keep the unity of the Spirit. There may 
be some things that we do not understand, but if we 
continue in the unity of the Spirit, our understanding will 
be enlightened. What we correctly understand, we un- 
derstand alike; for God is not the author of confusion, 
but of peace. Oh, what satisfaction, what glory, when 
we "see and flow together" in the church of God, where 
we are one in Spirit, in doctrine, in name, and in the 
purpose to save the world. 

If we desire to get closer to our brothers and sisters, 
we should draw closer to our heavenly Father, and we 
will soon feel a sense of unity with the brethren. Good 
things come our way when we are in unity. How is it 
when we are not in unity? When we have a little shed 
of division or contention over us, the good things strike 
the shed and slide off, and we go hungry while our breth- 
ren in unity feast. Lord, smash the little sheds. For 
further proof of God's purpose to save the world 
through the unified church, we cite you to Acts 4:32. 
Because of the unity of the multitude on this occasion, 
the apostles received great power to witness for Jesus; 
great grace was upon them all. The poor had their 
needs supplied, and God added daily to the church, such 
as were being saved. A glorious result, was it not? 



GOD'S PURPOSE TO SAVE THE WORLD. 147 

FAULT-FINDING VS. UNITY. 

God is accomplishing wonderful things today through 
his unified church. All do not recognize this fact, for 
some have given place to failure-hunting, and they are 
too busy to see what is being done around them. If we 
look for faults, we are sure to find them. It is easy to 
find them in our most spiritual brethren or sisters, if we 
look at them with an eye of criticism. After a fault is 
discovered by this cruel spirit, it is magnified till it looks 
like a mountain, rather than like a mole hill. If you lis- 
ten to this evil spirit, it will tell you the church is drift- 
ing, and will soon be wrecked and go to pieces on the 
rocks of pride, compromise, etc. It will whisper to you 
that the ministry will not stand for the whole truth, only 
a part of it. Do not allow this lying spirit to have one 
moment of your time, nor one little bit of space in your 
head or heart for a thought against the workings of the 
Holy Spirit. The almighty hand of God is moving, his 
power is manifested, and his glory is revealed in this 
meeting. How? In good feelings? Not alone in good 
feelings, but in the healing of sick bodies, the opening of 
blind eyes, the unstopping of deaf ears, and in the sav- 
ing of precious souls. 

There is a sort of wholesale picking spirit that causes 
many a soul to make sad shipwreck. Let us beware of 
it. A few years ago the devil tried to destroy the ability 
of the church to fulfil God's purpose. He succeeded in 
getting some among us to forget the perilous condition 
o? this sin-cursed world, and imposed an influence that 
caused them to stop their rapid fire upon the ranks of sin 
and to turn and thrust at one another. This was quickly 
discerned and disposed of, but it took time to recover 
from this attack of the enemy. This same old spirit is 
around now, but, brethren, it is on the outside, and let 
us make it stay there, by living in the spirit of unity 
and keeping our hearts full of the dying passion of Jesus 



148 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

to save the world. If any one here has this picking 
spirit, I know you do not feel good. It makes you bite 
and devour until it finally turns and devours you. The 
Lord make a clean sweep of these picking spirits. 

Let us look further at the good things promised us. 
"Thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be 
shut day nor night." Verse 11. No power on earth 
or hell can close these gates, and no man need to try 
to open them for Jesus has done that, and it is eternally 
decreed that they shall stay open. Souls may enter at 
any hour of the day or night. 

"They shall bring gold and incense; and they shall 
show forth the praises of the Lord." Verse 6. "And the 
sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their 
kings shall minister unto thee." Verse 10. We need 
gold and silver to send the gospel to the poor. Here is 
our promise; let us lay hold of it. 

god's purpose to save our enemies. 

"The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come 
bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall 
bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet." Verse 14. 
We lift up our eyes and behold even those who opposed 
and oppressed us are bowing at our feet acknowledging 
that we are saved and calling us "The city of the Lord, 
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel." God not only ful- 
fils this to the church, but to individuals. How good it 
is that those who were once our enemies may come into 
the kingdom of grace and sup with us at the table of 
the Lord. God help us to have faith for the salvation 
of souls. 

A number of years ago I was in Brother Warner's 
company of workers, assisting in a meeting at Butler, 
Pa. The meeting was very good. A number of busi- 
ness men of the city were convinced of the truth. After 
our meeting closed, a man, very prominent in a popular 



GOD'S PURPOSE TO SAVE THE WORLD. 149. 

church, announced that he would show by the Scriptures 
that our doctrine was of the devil. God's faithful ones 
agreed in prayer that the Spirit of God should confound 
him. At the appointed time, a large congregation gath- 
ered to hear him. He arose, stammered a moment, then 
said, "I am either sick, or I have the grippe, or the 
devil is in me," and sat down. God fulfilled his promise. 
Praise the Lord! 

God's purpose is the same now as it was on the day 
of Pentecost. Can we believe it? There are many here 
who need to have real faith exercised for them. Our 
souls will grow, and when we go home we will be a little 
taller and weigh a little more spiritually, for having 
exercised our spiritual energies. We can help to fulfil 
God's purpose by prevailing in prayer for souls in this 
meeting. I believe our faith is increasing a little more, 
not only that we may get good things for ourselves, but 
that souls who are in confusion may get the clear light 
of God. 

god's purpose hindered by self-interest. 

Is your heart so full of your own burdens and cares 
that you have no time to bear a burden for Jesus? We 
can get our personal trials, burdens, and cares thrust 
away and out of sight, and be able to see and feel the 
crying need of this sin-cursed world, if we decide to 
have it so. If we are weighted down with our own bur- 
dens, we will not have time to make friends of the peo- 
ple. Do not be afraid of winning the people to you. You 
must first win their friendship, or you need not hope for 
them to make friends with your Jesus. Do not despise 
the little opportunities you have. If you can not preach 
in a foreign land, you can preach to your neighbors arid 
friends. Some would like to go and preach if they could 
fill a very responsible position, but are unwilling to fill 
an obscure out-of-the-way place. We should be willing 



15 o CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

to fill the place God puts us in, and do with patience the 
most menial task assigned us. That is the position Jesus 
took, and he is our example. Shou'd we, then, seek to 
exalt ourselves? 

"thy bun shall xo more go down/' 

God's holy people are the same as they always were, 
have the same gospel to preach, the same faith to con- 
tend for, and the same salvation to enjoy. A few years 
ago I heard a lady say, "The holy people have surely 
changed. They are not like they used to be." Another 
lady said, "No, they haven't; the change is in you." 
These ladies were both believers in a popular religion. 
If you have grave fears that the church of God is go- 
ing down into darkness, let me read you a verse to en- 
courage you. "Violence shall no more be heard in thy 
land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but 
thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, arid thy gates Praise. 
The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for 
brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the 
Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God 
thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down ; neither shall 
thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine 
everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be 
ended." Verses 18-20. 

"Thy sun shall no more go down." What is the sun 
of the church? Jesus Christ, the King of Glory. Shall 
he go down? No, a blood-washed ministry will defend 
his doctrine and hold him up as the Savior of the world; 
even facing the bayonet hundreds in the church today 
would defend the gospel with their life's blood. God's 
people love the truth today as well as Peter and Paul 
did. If a spirit of division tries to creep in among them, 
the spirit of judgment will arise and expose it. 

There are many in this audience who know what it 
means to be under the vigorous rule of sectarian institu- 



GOD'S PURPOSE TO SAVE THE WORLD. 151 

tions. You have been enlightened and have forsaken the 
creeds of men, wherein there is "wasting, destruction and 
violence," and now enjoy the peaceable rule of the church 
of God. "I will make thine officers peace." We need 
not fear our brothers and sisters, for they love us so 
well that they are true and faithful to admonish and help 
us fortify the weak places in our Christian character. 

Let us not lose sight of God's purpose — the salvation 
of the world. The enemy has gained a point upon us 
when he gets us to stop pouring out the truth against 
sin, and quibble over some trivial thing that amounts to 
nothing. When we quibble and argue about things out- 
side the Bible, we talk ourselves empty; we have no mes- 
sage or burden for souls, and wonder what has gone 
wrong, when the wrong is in us and we do not know it. 
God help us to stand on the Word only. Where the 
Word is silent, let us be silent; where the Word speaks, 
let us speak with authority. If we will do this, it will 
save us and those that hear us from trouble. If there 
is an issue on hand, you and I can accomplish more on 
our knees than by talk. Let us tarry before God and 
pray much. Prayer and faith will move mountains. Let 
us be diligent to fulfil God's glorious purpose in every 
detail. 



152 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



Setting the Right Example. 

In the Auditorium, Mondav afternoon, June 9, 
by H. M. Higgle. 

In Phil. 3:17, I read, "Brethren, be followers to- 
gether of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have 
us for an ensample." In 1 Thess. 1 : 6, 7. "And ye be- 
came followers of us, and of the Lord, having received 
the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 
so that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Mace- 
donia and Achaia." In 1 Cor. 11:1, "Be ye followers 
of me, even as I also am of Christ." And in Phil. 4: 9, 
"Those things which ye have both learned, and received, 
and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace 
shall be with you." 

These four texts introduce the subject that I feel the 
Lord will be pleased to have me present to you this 
afternoon. I realize the solemnity of the occasion and 
my responsibility before God. Never in my entire min- 
istry have I felt more utterly helpless, more dependent 
upon God. I desire that God will get glory by the 
presentation of his truth, and that when this service is 
ended, we shall all be enlightened, helped, and bene- 
fited. 

PLACE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH. 

We are saved, my brethren and sisters, not merely 
to escape hell and gain heaven, but to fill the place and 
perform the work that God has assigned us. Many peo- 
ple have no higher ideas, and it seems that their com- 
prehension of a Christian life and experience reaches no 
farther, than simply that God has saved them that they 
may escape the punishment and the damnation of hell, 
and to be so unspeakably happy as at last to gain and 
enjoy the bliss of heaven through an endless eternity. 
It is true that, when we are saved from sin, we are saved 



SETTING THE RIGHT EXAMPLE. 153 

from hell ; we are saved from that punishment that really 
was due us and that we justly merited because of our 
rebellion against the law of God. I am glad to say 
that every one who is a possessor of salvation is not only 
saved from his past life of sin, not only saved from what 
might have happened in the future of his life here should 
he have continued in sin, but, thank God, saved from 
the punishment of an unending hell. Salvation com- 
prehends that, and, moreover, it grants you heaven and 
all its glory. But there is more in it than this. We have 
a mission to fulfil. I pray God to lay the responsibility 
of that mission upon our hearts and to help us to fulfil 
it, realizing that we are traveling to the judgment and 
are soon to meet a just God, who will require of us 
that which is committed into our charge. What, then, 
is our mission? 

EXHIBITING THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST. 

When saved, we are to exhibit his holiness, purity, and 
righteousness before the eyes of all with whom we come 
in contact. That is what we are here for. Jesus Christ 
is not here in person, but his church represents him in 
the world, and is intended to be a medium through which 
he can disseminate light and truth and salvation to the 
darkened hearts of men and women. When people be- 
hold our lives, they should see Jesus. That is what Paul 
meant when he said, "For me to live is Christ; and to 
die is gain." There needs to be less of self and more 
of the Christ-life. More "Christ within" and more Christ 
"put on." "Christ in you the hope of glory." We need 
to be filled with the spirit, love, and power of Jesus 
Christ every day we live. Thus we shall scatter smiles 
and sunshine all along life's pathway. 

ATTRACTING MEN TO CHRIST. 

O brothers and sisters, are you living so that you may 
attract men to Christ? Jesus said, "Let your light so 



154 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

shine before men that they may see your good works 
and glorify your Father which is in heaven." What a 
responsible position ! and yet, brother, sister, that is our 
place in the world. As people see the life of Christ 
demonstrated in us, they will be won to him. They will 
see the Christ-life in us, and it will make them hungry 
to attain to the higher and better life. There is as much 
difference between the life of the holy and pure and 
those who live in sin as there is between heaven and hell. 

A GAZING-STOCK. 

Some people, when they get saved, remark, "I wish 
people would not watch me so closely." That is what 
you are saved for. When you get saved and step out 
before the world, you are like the man who goes to the 
fair with his products and puts them on exhibition. He 
doesn't take the poorest products, but puts on exhibi f ion 
the very best. And if his potatoes take the premium, 
people say to each other, "Let us get some of those," 
and ask such questions as, "What variety is this?" "How 
many did you raise to the acre?" They want some for 
seed. The manufacturer who takes his sewing-machine 
or his reaper or whatever the product of his factory may 
be, puts on exhibition the very best he has. The ma- 
chine that does the best work and takes first premium 
will attract people's attention. Wives will say to their 
husbands, "Did you notice such and such a machine? 
It took the premium. Say, when we get a machine, let 
us get that kind." We are like the sewing-machine or 
the reaper on exhibition. God has put us before the 
world on exhibition. People come and look. They have 
a right to examine our lives and to scrutinize them very 
closely, very minutely. The Bible says that we are a 
gazing-stock. As people look at us, they see Jesus. 
They see something better than this old world of sin 
offers, and so they say, "If ever I get religion, I want 



SETTING THE RIGHT EXAMPLE. 155 

his kind." Oh say, there is a reality in this. I pray 
God to help us as individuals and as the collective body 
of the church of God in the world to feel more keenly 
this responsible position in which God has placed us. 
Let us do our very best, by the help and grace of God, 
to exhibit publicly that pure life of Christ, so that 
men may be attracted to him. "Ye are the epistles of 
Christ, known and read of all men." 

People, generally speaking, do not read their Bibles. 
Go to the homes of the people, and you will find a thou- 
sand newspapers to one Bible. While riding on the 
cars, how many people have you seen reading their Bi- 
bles? People read the papers, but not the Bible. Do 
not understand me, that I discourage reading newspa- 
pers. But if people read the Bible half as much as they 
do the papers, they would be better acquainted with it. 
To worldly people the Bible is a dry book. They are 
not interested in it. But there is one thing they do 
read, and that is your life. That is one thing everybody 
reads. Says one, "I thought I lived to myself." No 
man lives to himself. The eyes of the world are turned 
upon you. You are a gazing-stock, "a spectacle unto 
the world, and to angels, and to men." You are to step 
out before the world, so that when they read your life, 
they read the Bible — the Word of God. If they will 
not read the written Word, they will read it in you. 
They can read the living epistle, the life of Jesus Christ 
and the truth of the Bible before their very eyes. And 
the people expect to do that. 

In the sectarian realm of dead, formal worship, men 
can do many things that are wrong, and people think 
nothing about it. Sectarians can get angry, fight, lie, 
swear, and quarrel at home with their wives, and so 
forth, and little attention is given to it. They can chew, 
smoke, and dress like the world, and nothing is thought 
about it. But let one of God's saints deviate one iota 



156 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

from the plain path of divine truth, and it creates a 
general stir. People will say, "Did you hear what John 
Jones did?" Why do they expect so much more of us? 
Because we profess a higher life. Oh that God will 
make us feel the responsibility of living a Christian 
life ! Demonstrate before the world the life and char- 
acter of Jesus, so that as they see our life, they will read 
the Bible just as it is. I wonder how many of us have 
been converted and led to Christ as the result of the 
godly life of others? 

ADORNING THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST. 

I heard the present truth a good many years before 
I fully accepted and embraced it. There were a few 
folks in our community that did embrace it. Their lives 
were such that they convinced me there was something 
in it. When the preacher came around to preach it, 
what made it beautiful to me was to see men that lived 
it out before my eyes — the very truth he preached. They 
confirmed the truth; they beautified the gospel to me. 
As a result of their lives, my heart was won to Christ. 
I remember that when I was a young man, I said, "If 
ever I get religion, I want their kind." I carried that 
conviction in my heart until I got ready to surrender 
myself to God. 

Paul says, "Adorn the doctrine of God our Savior." 
We sometimes sing, "Are you adorning the doctrine?" 
Do you know what that means? Do you know what is 
comprehended in that Bible truth? How do we do that? 
By our experience and life. To the general class of men 
in the world, there is very little in the Bible of interest. 
You can hardly attract their attention to it, for their 
minds are filled with so many other things. Do you 
know what will make the truth of that book beautiful and 
attractive? Our having the experience it teaches, and 
living the truth of it right out before them. 



SETTING THE RIGHT EXAMPLE. 157 

In a series of meetings held in Nebraska (by Brother 
Speck, I believe) two men came to the altar one kneeling 
at one end of the bench and the other at the farther 
end. Both confessed that they had a very humiliating 
duty to perform. Finally each promised to do all that 
God required, and they were both gloriously converted. 
The next morning one hunted up a stolen ax and started 
for his neighbor's house. When he was about half way, 
he met his neighbor with a log-chain. They exchanged 
greetings, both praising God that they had found Christ. 
Then the one began in shame to confess that he had 
stolen his neighbor's ax, and the other confessed that he 
had stolen his neighbor's log-chain. They asked each 
others forgiveness, exchanged goods in the middle of 
the road, and each took his own tool home. Don't you 
think that when those brethren afterwards met in meet- 
ing, they had confidence in each other? That is adorn- 
ing the doctrine of restitution. 

About twenty years ago, while I was conducting a 
series of meetings in Indiana Co., Pa., an old gray- 
haired man came to the altar. It seemed he could 
not find God. As we talked to him, he finally said, 
"Wife and I raised a big family of children, and in our 
old days we got to quarreling and fighting, and as a 
result, separated. She has one farm and I have an- 
other." They had lived apart for about ten years. I 
said, "I tell you, Father R — , you need to go and get 
reconciled with your wife." "No, sir," he replied, "she 
was to blame. Mean woman, I couldn't live with her." 
I said, "The idea of you and that woman living together 
and raising up a family of children, and now in your old 
days separating. You go and be reconciled to that wife 
of yours." Finally he said he would. The next night 
the house was filled with people, and the altar was filled 
with seekers. As we pressed the invitation, I saw an 
old man coming down the aisle and an old lady following 



158 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

after him. They knelt down side by side at the altar. 
It was this man and his wife. Soon they were both 
weeping, each crying out, "I am to blame!" "I am to 
blame!" "O God, forgive!" As they confessed their sins, 
God gloriously saved them. It was a happy reconcilia- 
tion, and they lived together a number of years after 
that. Many happy seasons did my wife and I spend in 
their home. Their home was truly a happy one. They 
both died in the faith. That is what beautifies the doc- 
trine. 

When we preach the gospel of sanctification, do you 
know what will adorn that doctrine? For men and 
women to get a Bible experience of sanctification and 
live the life before the world. In Leechburg, Pa., was a 
desperate, wicked man, but he was converted. He was 
bold in meetings to testify that he was sanctified. One 
day a wicked man struck him a hard blow on the side 
of his face without cause. The brother turned the other 
cheek, and said, "You may strike that, too." The man 
fell down and said, "O Mr. K — ! I have committed an 
awful sin. Will you forgive me? I have struck a holy 
man." That is adorning the doctrine. 

There are some fellows claiming to be saved and 
sanctified, who, when you cross them, are like a cat when 
you brush its hair the wrong way; they are ready for 
fight. O brethren, there is nothing like that in you when 
you are sanctified. There is peace. That old nature is 
gone. There is no room for jealousy, envy, evil sur- 
misings, hatred, pride, and retaliation. The love of 
God is shed abroad in your heart. You will love your 
worst enemies with a sweet, tender affection. You will 
be able to manifest it in your looks and in your tone 
of voice. There are some people who can look daggjrs 
at you. Sanctified people will look as sweet and their 
tone of voice can be as calm under pressure as at any 
other time. That is adorning the doctrine. 



SETTING THE RIGHT EXAMPLE. 159 

RIGHT EXAMPLE AS TO UNITY. 

When we preach and profess unity, let us show it in 
our lives. I will say, God being my witness this after- 
noon, that before I will lower the standard of the Bible 
unity, this head shall be severed from my body. Breth- 
ren, let us stand for the unity of the Bible. Let us stand 
against division of every kind and live in the bonds of 
peace, so that, with the primitive church, we shall all 
be of one heart and soul, and present to the world a 
blood-washed army of soldiers of the cross. Adorn 
the doctrine of unity. The apostles "were all of one 
accord in one place," and "the multitude of them that 
believed were of one heart and of one soul." That 
blessed demonstration of unity in the primitive church 
convinced the world and also resulted in the manifesta- 
tion of the power of God. God help us to demonstrate 
it before the world. Stand for the unity that belongs to 
the church of God universally. That doesn't mean that 
the saints of one or two states should get together, nor 
that two or three or a dozen preachers should have a 
little unity of their own. It means that we are to be 
in unity with the body entire. You will find me with the 
body entire. I am a member of that, as well as of the 
assembly where I live. "By this shall all men know 
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for an- 
other." 

THE IMPORTANCE OF RIGHT LIVING. 

"Those things which ye have both learned, and re- 
ceived, and heard, and seen in me, do." "Be ye follow- 
ers of me, even as I also am of Christ." The duty of 
every man and woman in the church is to live right. 
I want to impress upon you the importance of right 
living: first, in the home; secondly, in the church; and 
thirdly, before the world at large. I want you to listen 
attentively. Do not receive this merely as the word of 



160 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

man, but as the word of God. I am only God's mes- 
senger and a very unworthy messenger at that. 

IN THE HOME. 

The Apostle Paul said, "Show piety at home." The 
first place to demonstrate that you are a Christian is in 
your home. People who do not live right at home are 
not fit to profess abroad. Many people come to camp- 
meeting and when the rich blessings fall, wonder why 
they do not get their share? Their troubles at home 
hinder. 

Husbands should be examples to their wives, and wives 
should be examples to their husbands. You, of course, 
have human weaknesses and difficulties to overcome; but 
when it comes to the main principles in life, you can 
live right. You can command the confidence and the 
respect of your wife or your husband. Sometimes a hus- 
band will say to the preachers that have come into his 
neighborhood, "I wish you brethren would go to my home 
and talk to my wife. I should be so much rejoiced if 
she would get saved. Will you go home with me?" The 
ministers comply with his request. The next morning 
one of them says to the wife, "Would you not like to be 
a Christian? Have you been attending our meetings?" 
She answers, "I have attended some of them." "How 
does the truth impress you?" "All right." "Then, 
why do you not come along with your husband and serve 
the Lord together?" "My husband!" she exclaims, "You 
get him right, and I will feel more like it." "What is 
the matter with him?" "If you were around some morn- 
ing at six o'clock, you would know how mean he is." 
There are some wives of the same kind. They ask the 
preacher to go home and talk to their husbands. Ah! 
in many a case the husband has no confidence in his wife's 
profession. She is a contentious woman. It is not that 
way when you get saved. God wants men and women 



SETTING THE RIGHT EXAMPLE. 161 

to live right at home — the husband to live so before 
his wife that he will command her confidence, and the 
wife to live likewise before her husband. 

Are you forbearing? The Bible says to forbear one 
another in love. Perhaps you and your wife are not ex- 
actly of like disposition. Have you learned to forbear? 
Let me give a bit of advice to young married people; it 
will do the older ones good, too. Study each other's 
natural dispositions and make-up, then forbear one an- 
other in love. If you are both positive in your make-up, 
what do you do? Do you get tried over each other and 
contend for your own way? You will have trouble be- 
tween you if you get too positive. I am positive and 
have a positive wife. Two positives must learn some 
things. We have learned to forbear and to submit to 
each other. That is the way for you to do it. If you 
do not, there will be trouble. "Forbear one another in 
love." 

That is a good thing to do in the church. We are not 
all of the same temperament. There are brethren whose 
temperaments are such that they simply flow together. 
Do you remember Peter, James, and John? There was 
something about these three that caused Jesus to select 
them to go with him to the mountain and other places 
where the other nine were not permitted to go. Did 
the others get jealous and quarrel over this? There is 
no record of such actions. If there is some body in the 
church that is not of the same temperament as you, for- 
bear in love and do not bring in division and lack of 
confidence. There is something here to be learned. 
Two brethren work together; one is slow and particular, 
the other fast and not very particular. They will in- 
evitably have trials over each other. They must for- 
bear in love. Once when I intended to hold a meeting 
at a certain place, I sent the tabernacle ahead. The 
brother I sent it to was one of those easy-going fellows. 



162 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

When I arrived, he had nothing ready for the meeting. 
I said to him, "You must get something ready for the 
meeting tonight; get the seats, etc." He said, "A-l-1 
r-i-g-h-t"; but it was hard to get him to stir. What I 
have to do, I do with all my might. If ever a man was 
a trial to me, he was. The devil suggested that if he 
had salvation he would not be so slow. 

FORBEARANCE AND SUBMISSION. 

The Bible tells us to forbear one another in love; to 
suffer long and be kind. Some people can suffer a long 
time, but the thing is to be kind. In the church and in 
the home, people need to forbear one another; to be 
long-suffering, kind, and submissive. Suppose you make 
a mistake. Are*you willing to correct it? Some men are 
too proud and stubborn to ask their wives' forgiveness. 
They think that would be below the dignity of their 
position. They say by their actions, if not in words, 
"My wife belongs down at my feet." If she had be- 
longed at your feet, God would have taken the bone out 
of the foot. God was wise when he made the woman. 
He took a rib out of the side, and she belongs right at 
man's side. Wife, you do not belong at the head, either. 
The bone was not taken from the skull. You belong at 
his side. That is where every one belongs — side by side. 
Every man should love his wife and give her a place at 
his side. Correct your mistakes. 

Do you remember that time when it did not go as 
smoothly as it might over some little thing that oc- 
curred. It was at a time when you became a little care- 
less in prayer. That night, about two or three o'clock, 
you and your wife were suddenly awakened by the cries 
of your little child. It was near death. You had to get 
hold of God or the child would die. Do you remember 
that when you knelt by the bedside of the child every- 
thing was dark around you; you could not pray through 



SETTING THE RIGHT EXAMPLE. 163 

it? The Spirit of God began to point you to those 
harsh words. Then what? If you did the right thing, 
this is what you did: You said, "Do you remember, 
dear, that little misunderstanding we had the other 
day? I spoke too sharply. Will you please forgive 
me?" By that time she got her arms around you and 
said, "I wasn't as submissive as I should have been. 
Lord, help us to be more humble and submissive." Then 
the mists and clouds disappeared, faith took hold, and 
the child was healed instantly. Say, that is the way to 
live; only it is better not to wait until the child has to 
be stricken. Live close enough to God that you can 
make your mistakes right at once. If such things do 
not occasionally occur in your life, one of two things is 
true of you: either you are living to a higher standard 
than most people, or you are living so far away from 
God that your conscience can not talk to you. Holy men 
and women will frequently have occasion to submit one 
to another. Be "tender-hearted; forgiving one another, 
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." This 
was not written to sinners, but to saints. 

Some people are more of a nervous temperament than 
others. Some have trials on one line, and some on an- 
other ; but God help us to correct every mistake, to profit 
by the past, and to do better in the future. I do not 
lower the standard in preaching this way. Respect and 
honor each other. Love one another. Your honeymoon 
can continue when you grow old and gray. Some peo- 
ple's honeymoon lasts only a few months, but mine is 
going on yet. Live right in the home, be an example; be 
submissive; live to please each other. In a little while 
this journey of life will be over, and you will have to 
look into each other's face for the last time. One of 
you will follow the other to the grave. The casket will 
be lowered, and you will cast your bunches of flowers 
upon it and strew them on the grave. My Lord, help 



164 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

us ! It would be a good deal better to strew the flowers 
of kindness in this life. 

Parents, set the right example before your children. 
The greatest revival needed today is the revival at home, 
around the family fireside. This is where it needs to be- 
gin. If you want a revival in your community, start it 
at home. Begin to bring your dear ones to Christ. 
My God, help us to feel this responsibility! What an 
awful thing it will be to look into the faces of our own 
dear children and know that they died without Christ! 
Some of these days you will see some of your loved ones 
carried to the grave. It will be too late then. We ought 
to spend time while they are living, and do what we can 
to bring them to Jesus. Sometimes children think that 
we are harsh, when we hold them in check; but, breth- 
ren, I pray God to put it on our hearts to use every 
effort in our power to restrain them from going into the 
ways of sin, and to help to live so before them that they 
will be won to Jesus. Mothers, let me say something 
for your encouragement. Sometimes mothers spend a 
whole lifetime toiling from early morn till late at night 
to raise a large family. They never get away from their 
cares and work. But in that busy home the mother lives 
a Christian life. Often she feels discouraged, seeing no 
fruit from her prayers. Her children go out in sin. 
But the mother lives a Christian life before them. 
Maybe she passes into eternity without seeing the fruit 
of her faithful life. Years afterwards a wayward son 
gets into trouble. The first thing that comes to him is 
the prayers of a Christian mother, and he gives his 
heart to God. The daughter likewise. God calls them 
into the gospel field; and as they labor, many are saved 
and some are called to the ministry. Thus the influence 
spreads wider and wider until thousands are won to the 
truth. This all had its beginning in the quiet home of 
a sainted mother. That mother who lived and died 



SETTING THE RIGHT EXAMPLE. 165 

without seeing the result of her godly life will reap 
golden sheaves in the great eternity. God help us to 
live right at home! Your conduct will reproduce itself 
in the life of your offspring. Then train up a child in 
the way he should go. 

I wish that I could dwell longer on this subject, but 
I must pass on to the consideration of our being — - 

EXAMPLES TO THE CHURCH. 

First, the ministry. The ministers should be exam- 
ples to the flock. A preacher should by example lead 
his congregation to a higher life. He should be humble. 
A preacher that rules with a rod of iron, will not be loved 
by his congregation; but he that is humble and gives his 
life as a sacrifice, going to the homes of the brethren and 
in tears laboring for their welfare, will endear himself 
to them, will win their confidence and respect. Like 
priest, like people. Fellow minister, your congregation 
will be very much like you. Paul said to Timothy, "Be 
thou an example to the believers in word, in conversa- 
tion, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." Says one, 
"I wish my congregation would be more liberal." Be 
more liberal yourself. Brother Cole said to the con- 
gregation at Chicago, when the work first started there, 
"Brethren, I am willing to lose my reward in heaven 
on the line of giving, by telling what I give, if I can 
thereby stir you up to do something." 

God wants us to be an example in holy living. A 
preacher that is all the time out of harmony with God 
and his flock is no example. "The things that ye hear 
and see in me, do." That is the way to live. Every 
preacher should be able to say to his congregation, "Fol- 
low me as I follow Christ." "Well," says one, "I should 
not think people would pattern after me." Yes, peo- 
ple follow in one another's ways. It is the easiest thing 
in the world to pattern after one another. There is no 



166 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

use to deny it; it is a fact. We do pattern after each 
other more or less, and it seems unavoidable. Hence 
the importance of setting a right example. Just to give 
you an idea. Some, instead of addressing the Deity in 
reverential terms, as "thou," "thee," and "thine," address 
him in every-day terms, as "you," "your," and "yours." 
Some one set it forth as bringing God down closer to us. 
Do you know it was not long until that spread all over 
the states? We should address God reverentially. God 
is not a man. Of course, to use the common pronouns 
is not a sin in prayer, but to me they do not sound just 
proper. It is so easy to follow in each other's ways. 
God help us to set the right example. 

Not only ought ministers to be examples, but each be- 
liever ought to be an example to his brethren and sis- 
ters. We should be a pattern to one another in prayer. 
If every brother in the church prayed as much in secret 
as you do, would the church be noted for spending much 
time in secret prayer? If everybody prayed as much in 
public and in family worship as you do, would your con- 
gregation be a praying congregation? Think of it. 

We should be an example also in spirituality. If all 
the brethren in your assembly were as spiritual as you 
are, would you have a spiritual assembly? If every- 
body took hold as much in the public services as you do, 
in testimony and devotion, would your meetings be spir- 
itual and lively? If everybody were as instant as you 
are in testimony meeting, would it be more lively? I 
tell you, the man that is spiritual comes into an assem- 
bly full of glory and life, and his influence is felt. 
When a man who is not spiritual comes into contact with 
a spiritual people, he will feel it. It will stir his heart 
to get the same experience. Says one, "Our meetings 
are dead." Do you know why they are dead? There is 
a dead meeting in the graveyard, also, and the reason is, 
there are dead people there. It takes dead people to 



SETTING THE RIGHT EXAMPLE. 167 

have dead meetings. If you want a good Holy Ghost 
meeting, get filled with the Holy Ghost yourself. The 
very condition you are in will make your meetings. Are 
you an example in spirituality? 

Are you an example in liberality? Says one, "Do not 
touch that. Preach anything else, but do not preach 
that. That is like Babylon." If it hurts you, you are 
like Babylon. It does not offend when people are spir- 
itual. Spirituality is conducive to liberality, and lib- 
erality is conducive to spirituality. Are you an example 
in liberality? If everybody gave as much as you do, 
how much would the missionaries get? Would our mis- 
sionaries get along well and have plenty, or would they 
go on half rations? How is it? If everybody had given 
just as much as you have in the last year, how would the 
financial end of the work prosper? If everybody had 
given the same amount as you have during this meeting, 
would the expenses of the camp-meeting be met? If 
everybody gave as much as you do for the support of 
your home pastor, who preaches to you the word of 
God, would his family have plenty to eat? If everybody 
went over to the pastor's home just as often as you do 
with a sack of flour, a ham of meat, a basket of gro- 
ceries, a dollar bill, a sack of feed, or a load of hay, 
how would your pastor fare? If he were no more faith- 
ful in preaching to you the word of God than you are 
in supplying his temporal needs, how many sermons 
would you hear? Let me talk to you preachers. If 
everybody had given as much to the cause as you have 
during the past year, how much would the cause of 
Christ spread in the earth ? I find the more liberal I am 
toward the cause of Christ, (and I give all my time be- 
sides), the more God helps me. He will do it for you. 
Are you an example? If not, I pray God to stir you up. 
God wants us individually to be an example in dress 
also. If everybody dressed as plainly as you do and 



168 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

kept as separate from the world as you do, what would 
the church be? Are you an example? Brother and sis- 
ter, I want to say to you that to the end, when the 
blazing light of heaven will reveal the coming of Christ, 
God is going to have a clean people. Let us each be an 
example in dress. 

When the inside gets all right, the outside will be all 
right, too. The greatest sin in the world today is pride. 
It is sending more souls to hell than liquor. Pride is 
taking its millions down to perdition. God help us to 
stand out against it! When you get real Bible salva- 
tion, your pride will be gone. I like to see penitents at 
the altar strip the rings off their fingers, and take the 
plumes off their hats — act as if they meant business for 
God. If people are taught right, that is the way they 
will often do. 

Are you an example in these things? Could you say 
to the brethren and sisters, "Follow me as I follow 
Christ"? I have never stopped preaching this straight 
way since I began, and I expect to continue so to the 
end. Some one reported that all the saints in the East 
had drifted under a great compromise. I wish to clear 
myself from that report. Not a word of it is true. 
There is not a congregation, so far as I know, of which 
a single saint wears plumes or flowers. You will find 
the people in my State (Pennsylvania) as clean and 
straight as they are anywhere else. I want the people 
to know that we are standing by the old land-marks. 
If you hear anything contrary to that, do not believe it. 
God wants his people to be examples. The course of 
this old world is downward; we must go up. 

Be an example in spirituality, in prayer, in temper- 
ance, in fact, in every Christian virtue and duty. Let us 
stand together for the faith of the gospel, for the good 
old-time religion, as it was in the apostles' days. When 
the Free Methodists speak of the "old-time religion," they 



SETTING THE RIGHT EXAMPLE. 169 

allude to Wesley's time. When we speak of "the old- 
time religion/' we go back to the time of Christ and the 
apostles. There is where we stand — where Christ and 
the apostles stood. That is where the stream was clean. 
I thank God this afternoon for the old-time salvation. 

EXAMPLES TO THE WORLD. 

You are "a spectacle unto the world, to angels, and 
to men." On the stage persons are expected to perform 
their part of the drama in a way to attract man. We 
are a public theater. God help us so to live before men 
that they can see Christ in us. Let us practise what 
we profess, so that when they see in us the life of Jesus 
and the doctrine of the gospel demonstrated, they will 
be won to Christ. That is what I desire to do. The 
greatest desire of my life and heart this afternoon is 
to be a good minister of Jesus Christ. I am not talking 
just to fill up time; I want you to know that I feel just 
as I have preached to you. Life is too short, eternity 
too long, to spend our days in any other way. 

The importance of right living will be fully realized 
when the shadows of death are gathering about us ; when 
the sun of life is setting, and the scenes of earth are 
fading from our view; when the realities of eternity are 
breaking upon us. Yes, right living will bring conso- 
lation and sweet assurance in the hour of death. Death 
will not be a cold, sullen stream, whose turbulent waters 
will splash at your feet. No; it will be but the "valley 
of a shadow," through which Christ will lead you to 
bright realms beyond. I look up the shining pathway of 
my Christian life, and this afternoon I can see clear 
through to the end. I see a beautiful gateway with a 
wreath of flowers around it and angels singing on the 
other side and waiting to carry my spirit into the para- 
dise of God. There is nothing like living a Christian life. 
In the great day of judgment, when with the millions 



170 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

of the ages assembled before the tribunal bar of God, 
right living in this world will give us boldness to 
stand. Amen. 



GOD'S JUSTICE AND MERCY. 171 

God's Justice and Mercy. 

In the Auditorium, Monday evening, June 9, 
by W. T. Seaton. 

"To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness 
will ye compare unto him?" Isa. 40: 18. God is beyond 
our comprehension, yet in Matt. 5:48 we are commanded 
to be like him. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your 
Father which is in heaven is perfect." Perfection is at 
least one attribute then that God is pleased to give to 
man. We must be perfect if we shall ever see the face 
of God in peace. How holy must we be? If we possess 
holiness at all, it is that which emanates from God. 
When God gives us that holiness, it is the same as that 
which he possesses. 

God is the fountain of holiness. From him every- 
thing pure must emanate. Where God is there is purity. 
What made the ground holy where Moses was standing? 
Was it not the presence of God? The thought of God's 
being holy, suggests his opposition to sin. God being 
infinitely holy, he must be infinitely opposed to sin, to 
everything that is contrary to holiness. Since God 
Almighty is opposed to sin, the more like God you and 
I become, the more we hate sin; and the closer we come 
to God the farther we get away from sin. On the other 
hand, the farther away from God we are, the more readily 
we embrace sin. The more of God we get into our souls, 
the more we lose sight of this world of sin. 

From Hab. 1:13 I read: "Thou art of purer eyes 
than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity : where- 
fore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and 
holdest thy tongue when the wicked devour eth the man 
that is more righteous than he?" God can not behold 
evil, that is, he can not look upon iniquity with the least 
degree of tolerance. He can not recognize it, and wher- 
ever we find God, we find him infinitely opposed to sin. 



172 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

God's attitude toward sin is expressed in Heb. 1 : 9 — 
"Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; 
therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with 
the oil of gladness above thy fellows." There are some 
in the world who claim that God is too good and too 
merciful, too long-suffering to sentence man to eternal 
death, or to allow such punishment to come upon him, 
thus presuming upon the goodness of God. God is good, 
and long-suffering — that is the truth; but God also 
possesses another attribute — justice. We must not over- 
look that fact. 

THE JUSTICE OF GOD. 

The judgment God has dealt out to us is just as pure 
and holy as his character. Paul warns: "Behold there- 
fore the goodness and severity of God." Rom. 11:22. 
There is great danger in presuming upon the mercy of 
God. God Almighty could not be a God if he should 
sacrifice this attribute of justice, by failing to execute 
judgment to whom judgment is due, and justice to whom 
justice is due. God commands us to give tribute to whom 
tribute is due, honor to whom honor, fear to whom fear. 
He works on the same principle. The severity of God's 
judgments are exemplified in his dealings with Adam. His 
sin was, in our estimation, the least sin which could be 
committed; but in God's estimation there is no difference 
in sins. Adam's sin was of such a nature that it caused 
no pain or displeasure to any creature of God. I mean 
individually or personally; yet eternal death was passed 
upon him and his posterity. Dear souls, let us not over- 
look the fact that God is a God of justice. 

"God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast 
them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of 
darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." 2 Pet. 2:4. 
God could not tolerate sin in the glory world. 

When we consider God's justice, when we behold the 



GOD'S JUSTICE AND MERCY. 173 

nature of God's holiness and the nature of our sin, the 
very best of us have been sinful enough to have de- 
served everlasting punishment. The justice of God 
would have sentenced us to destruction. Eternal death 
was ours. Why? Because we violated the Holy Law of 
God, and infinite justice says we are all worthy of 
everlasting damnation. We are presuming upon the 
mercies of God when we think God is too good and 
too merciful to let us go down to destruction. Men 
today are running over God's mercy, ignoring God's 
Word, and rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, saying that 
he will not suffer us to be lost. But if we fail to 
utilize the privilege that God places before us, if we 
fail to utilize the means of grace God has devised for 
us, we become responsible for our own souls; and when 
we lift our fruitless cries in the flames of everlasting 
damnation, we can then say, "I have come here of my 
own accord. God tried to deliver me; he did all he 
could to keep me out of this place." Neither will any 
soul in the flame of destruction ever think of accusing 
God of being unjust. No one will ever cast reflection 
on the purity of God and the righteousness of his judg- 
ment. If you could interrogate those lost souls and 
ask how they feel, not one of them would say that God 
is unjust. Why? Because they know they violated the 
law . of a just God. 



THE MERCY OF GOD. 

God has another attribute aside from his holiness and 
justice. It is his infinite mercy. If God had let us go 
forever and had extended no hand of mercy to save us, 
when we strayed from him, he would only have been 
just. But to do so he would have sacrificed^ entirely his 
attribute of mercy. .. God is a merciful God. Mercy is 
as prominent as justice in God's dealings with man. 
In order to leave men without an excuse in the final day, 



174 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

severe judgment has been suspended temporarily, that 
mercy may extend to us the privileges of salvation. 
"Today is the day of salvation/' which means the day 
of mercy. Justice says eternal damnation is theirs; 
they are worthy of death, of everlasting punishment. 
But Mercy says, I can not afford to see them go. I 
will deal mercifully with them. I must give them an- 
other chance to be saved. God could manifest his mercy 
in no other way than to give his Son, which is the 
embodiment of mercy, the hand of mercy stretched forth 
to save. Man had no opportunity of salvation, no pos- 
sible way of escaping the justice and judgments of God 
had not mercy planned a way of escape. But God mani- 
fested his love and mercy toward us, in that while we 
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God sent his 
Son to bless us in turning us away from our sins, lifting 
us up and drawing our affections back to him again. 
Jesus Christ came to manifest the real design and 
purpose of God. His life's work expressed God's will 
to man. He became the Word of God, the mouth- 
piece of God, to speak in God's stead, to testify to 
the world of their evil. 

Yes, God is a merciful God, but justice and mercy 
can not reign at the same time. It is just, that the 
guilty die. But that he might show his love to man, 
God withheld judgment for a while and sent Jesus Christ 
on a mission of mercy, to give us an opportunity to 
come back to God again. But just as sure as that law 
made by a just God is broken, the penalty must be paid. 
Somebody must die in order to meet the demands of 
justice. Thus Christ as a substitute, died in our stead. 

In Luke 13:6-9 we read of a fig-tree, upon wh : ch 
the owner had for three years sought for fruit, only 
to be disappointed. The keeper plead when ordered to 
cut it down, "Let it alone one more year; I will bestow 
upon it special care: if it still remains fruitless it shall 



GOD'S JUSTICE AND MERCY. 175 

be cut down." Sinner, this means you. The fruit that 
you are to bear to Christ is holy fruit. You have been 
unfaithful. God's justice orders you cut down. You 
are not worthy of God's earthly blessings, but Mercy 
pleads, saying, "Let us give him one more opportunity 
for salvation." While no doubt this parable has a special 
application to the Jews, having been spoken directly to 
them, it indirectly applies to you. God deals with all 
men properly and prudently, and with all alike. If 
God Almighty should execute his judgment after giving 
sinners three years to repent, it would be presuming 
upon the mercies of God to continue longer in sin. 

NEGLECTING GOD's MERCY. 

There is awful danger in putting off salvation during 
life and risking calling upon God in your dying hour. 
A godly sorrow is essential to repentance unto salvation. 
No man can repent except through a godly sorrow. 
Now is the time to get saved while we have the oppor- 
tunity and have our minds. The thief on the cross may 
never have seen Christ before. He had been forced 
into his presence; but he looked upon Christ and be- 
held in him the attributes characteristic of the God of 
heaven, he said, "Lord, remember me when thou comest 
into thy kingdom." If in the hour of death you can 
with faith plead God's mercy, he will save you; but if, 
having rejected God all your life, having in childhood 
days played around your family circle with mother's old 
Bible on the center-table, heard the pleadings of the 
people of God, and listened to the Spirit of God, you 
then come in your dying hour, saying, "Lord, I come 
to thee now. I want help. I want to evade damnation." 
You will be likely to find it difficult to obtain mercy, 
because of lost opportunities. The thought of punish- 
ment is horrifying. The flames of destruction are before 
you, and the very thought ©f going into it is terrible. 



176 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Most generally that is the reason why men call upon 
God under such circumstances and not with a godly 
sorrow. If man could get the judgment of God out of 
their minds for a while and let their minds revert to 
their life of sin, it might create in them a real godly 
sorrow for sin, and they might get saved when they are 
facing death, though it is a dangerous thing to defer 
repentance till then. 

While God is long-suffering and merciful, his judg- 
ments also are sure. Twelve months ago perhaps mercy 
plead for some one here, "Spare them one more year." 
One more year is passed and the camp-meeting has begun. 
God has spared your life another year, giving you an- 
other opportunity to repent. God may extend to you 
no longer this opportunity. His judgments in times past 
have been executed in different places and in various 
ways. From the days of the flood down to the present 
time, the judgments of God have been mixed with his 
mercies. When the Lord destroyed the world, eight 
persons were the subjects of his mercies. When God's 
judgments visited Sodom there were a few that were 
saved. Today God mixes mercy with his judgments. 
But there is a day coming when God's judgment and 
wrath will be poured out without mercy. Mercy's day 
will be past. 

The very day he steps off his mediatorial throne this 
world will be without a Savior. You may plead to God 
to spare you and give you one more chance. He will 
have to say, "The day of mercy is gone." There are no 
more opportunities to get saved. You have slighted 
the last hope of mercy! and the Savior, the one who 
has been extending mercy, now grasps the scepter of 
justice, ascends the Judgment throne and becomes our 
judge. You then will stand before the tribunal of 
justice without any one to plead for you, or show you 
mercy. Oh, while mercy is pleading, come ! 



DIVINE LAW. 177 



Divine Law. 

Address to Ministers in' Chapel, Tuesday morning-, June 10. 
by D. O. Teasley. 

Anciently those men who gave themselves to the study 
of the law were called "Men of the Book." A pious 
man, when dying, said to the watcher by his bedside, 
"Bring me the Book." "What book?" inquired the 
watcher. "There is but one book/' said the dying man; 
"bring me the Book." However many books the world 
may contain, there is, to the Christian preacher, com- 
paratively but One book — the Book, the Bible. As di- 
vinely appointed leaders of God's redeemed and holy 
people, we should be "Men of the Book." I once heard 
of a preacher who always preached from the same text. 
Whatever other texts he might use, he always used that 
one text and conformed all the sentiments of his teach- 
ings to it. That text is the first clause of 2 Tim. 4 : 2 — - 
"Preach the Word." Fellow ministers, do you not think 
that we should do well to merit by our study and by our 
preaching that ancient title, "Men of the Book" ? Should 
we not take as a perpetual text 2 Tim. 4 : 2 and preach 
the Word, the whole Word, and nothing but the Word? 

As a scriptural basis for what I shall say to you this 
morning, I call your attention to Isa. 8 : 20. "To the 
law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to 
this word, it is because there is no light in them." You 
will notice that in the margin the words "no light" are 
rendered "no morning," so that the latter clause of the 
text would read, "If they speak not according to this 
word, it is because there is no morning in them." If we 
speak not according to the divine law, there is "no 
morning" m us. If we want our sermons to be freighted 
with life-giving and health-creating power, we must bathe 
them in the effulgent light of the morning and deliver 
them full-fledged with the "wings of the morning." 



178 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Such sermons will carry to the sin-darkened soul the 
power and beauty of divine life and bring glorious 
"morning" where all before was night. 

I have noticed of late a tendency in some of us to 
appeal to "what we taught fifteen or twenty years ago" 
as the source of present light. This, permit me to say, 
is an old and dangerous error. It is the seeds of tra- 
dionalism, which, if allowed to grow, will sooner or later 
make a human sect of what now is God's holy church 
out of confusion. The source of our divine light and the 
law by which we should judge the moral quality of 
human conduct is not simply what we, or anybody else, 
taught twenty years ago, but what God's anointed One 
and his inspired apostles taught nineteen hundred years 
ago. What we have taught is valuable for moral guid- 
ance only in the degree to which it conforms to divine 
law. Therefore I, for one, must say with the prophet, 
"To the law and to the testimony." 

The closer we keep to God, the closer we shall con- 
form our teaching to divine law, for God is a God of law 
and order. From the smallest atom of his creation to 
the mightiest world of the universe all is under divine 
law. The laws of God that most concern my present 
thought are the law of the universe, the law of the na- 
tion, the law of the church, and the law of the individual. 

THE LAW OF THE UNIVERSE. 

The law of the material universe, to which I need not 
refer at length, is natural law. This law, so far as it 
has been discovered, is the basis of natural science; and 
that very considerable number of natural laws yet undis- 
covered is the ever-evasive game of the pursuing scien- 
tists. God established the law of the universe, so far 
as it pertains to our little world, when he created in six 
days the heavens and the earth and all that in them is. 
Since the day of their creation the earth, the sun, moon 



DIVINE LAW. 179 

and stars, and all nature have acted in uniform obedience 
to God's law. Today, no less than when King David 
looked up at a million worlds that move by one potent 
law "the heavens declare the glory of God; and the 
firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day utter- 
eth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge." 
Psa. 19: 1, 2. 

THE LAW OF THE NATION. 

The law of our nation, no less than the law of the 
universe, is in a very peculiar sense a divine law. To 
prove this let me read from the thirteenth chapter of 
Paul's letter to the Romans: "Let every soul be subject 
unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of 
God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Who- 
soever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordi- 
nance of God: and they that resist shall receive to them- 
selves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good 
works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of 
the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt 
have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to 
thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be 
afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is 
the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon 
him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be sub- 
ject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 
For for this cause pay ye tribute also : for they are God's 
ministers, attending continually upon this very thing." 
Roin. 13 j 1-6. 

In this passage you will notice the following truths: 
the powers of national government are ordained of God; 
the officers of the law are the ministers of God; there- 
fore, to resist the law of the land is to resist the ordi- 
nance of God. We should be subject to the "powers 
that be," not only because we fear the penalty of a na- 
tion's broken law, but also because God and the Chris- 



180 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

tian conscience demand it. In Paul's instructions to 
Titus he says, "Put them [the Cretian] in mind to be 
subject to principalities and power, to obey magis- 
trates, to be ready to every good work." Tit. 3:1. 
Peter says to the Christian church, "Submit yourselves 
to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether 
it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto 
them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil- 
doers, and for the praise of them that do well." 1 Pet. 
13, 14. 

I need not go farther in proof of the proposition that 
our national or civil laws are ordained of God. By right 
of this divine law we breathe this morning the atmos- 
phere of national and religious liberty. It is under the 
protection of the divine law of our nation that we assem- 
ble here undisturbed to worship God according to his 
revesled will. 

STATUTE AND COMMON LAW. 

There are two kinds or classes of national law to which 
I wish to call your attention. These are known as stat- 
ute-law and common law. Statute-law is that law en- 
acted by our legislature and recorded in our statute- 
books. Statute-law of course, is the basis of all law and 
is incomparably more important than common law. Com- 
mou law is, in a sense, traditional l*w. It is composed 
for the most part of deductions '?«vn the statute-law or 
the decisions of courts and judges. You may bear in 
mind this classification of national law and the distinc- 
tion between the two classes of laws. I shall have occa- 
sion to refer to it again in speaking of the law of the 
church, to which I shaU now call attention. 

THE LAW OF THE CHURCH. 

The church has but one source of divine law — the 
twenty-seven books composing the New Testament of 



DIVINE LAW. 181 

our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I feel myself safe 
in affirming to this body of ministers, who sincerely be- 
lieve themselves divinely commissioned elders of God, 
that no other law than the written Word of God should 
be recognized in the church. At any rate, I stand ir- 
revocably committed to the proposition that the revealed 
Word of God is fully contained in the written New Testa- 
ment. 

If we admit that this Book [holding up the New 
Testament] is sufficient to throughly furnish a man unto 
all good works, that it is the perfect law of liberty, then 
we forever relinquish our right to add anything to it or 
to take anything from it, for either to add to or to take 
from a perfect thing is to make it imperfect. Further- 
more, by the admission that the canon of Scripture is 
closed and that the New Testament reveals perfectly to 
man the will of God, we forfeit our right to legislation. 
In other words, if the Bible is God's perfect law, there 
is nothing left for us to do but to execute the judgments 
written. 

THREE DEPARTMENTS OF DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 

Just as there are three departments of our national 
government — the legislative, the judicial, and the execu- 
tive — so there are three departments of divine govern- 
ment — the legislative, the judicial, and the executive. 
I believe that you will all agree with me that the power 
of judgment, or the judicial phase of divine government, 
is held by God himself. He says to us, "Judge not, that 
ye be not judged." "He hath appointed a day, in the 
which he will judge the world in righteousness by that 
man whom he hath ordained." "We shall all stand be- 
fore the judgment-seat of Christ." 

The legislative power in the government of God's 
kingdom on earth also is held in God's own hand. This 
we can easily prove from the written Word of God itself. 



182 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

The experience of man likewise teaches us that human 
interference by way of legislation is destructive to the 
manifest purpose of God in the Christian church and the 
highest desire of every redeemed soul. As proof I have 
only to cite you to the divided and contentious condition 
of Christendom, and to the expressed will of God as 
recorded in the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel of 
St. John, that his people should be one. I read in Psalms 
149:9 these words: "To execute upon them [the hea- 
then] the judgments written: this honor have all the 
saints." We conclude, then, that beyond the possibility 
of a reasonable doubt, the sphere of human activity in 
the government of God's kingdom on earth is confined 
to the executive phase; executing not our own legisla- 
tions, disciplines, and dogmas, but "the judgments writ- 
ten." 

For my part, legislating in the church of God is over 
with and shall everlastingly be over with. I have a 
few times consented to enter into counsel with other 
brethren, which unwisely resulted in legislation, but I 
am now ashamed of it. I have promised God on my 
knees that I will never again take any part in enacting 
laws for the church of God. I count myself an execu- 
tive of God's revealed law, not a legislator. By saying 
this I do not mean that I shall never enter into coun- 
sel with my brethren ; for great benefits often come from 
ministers meeting together, praying together, and speak- 
ing together about the word of God and their very im- 
portant work. But to my mind, our efforts should be 
expository, not legislative. In all our councils let us 
be careful lest we lean to our own judgment and wis- 
dom instead of going to the Book. I firmly believe that 
every difficulty that may arise and every need that may 
exist can be settled or supplied by precepts or exam- 
ples found in the "perfect law of liberty." In all our 
conferences, therefore, let us confer over the open Book, 



DIVINE LAW. 183 

with the fervent prayer that we may understand it 
aright. 

TWO GENERAL DIVISIONS OP DIVINE LAW. 

When we come to study God's great law-book, the 
Bible, one of the most important principles to follow is 
right division. Paul said to Timothy, "Study to show 
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not 
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 
Tim 2: 15. Though such divisions of the Bible as lit- 
erary and historical are profitable and should be made, 
I shall not speak of them now. The division to which 
I wish to call your attention here is one which I believe 
is not commonly made, and yet it has been to me one 
of the most profitable means of understanding divine law. 
The two general divisions to which I shall refer are 
those of absolute precepts and relative principles. 

ABSOLUTE PRECEPTS. 

Absolute precepts apply to moral evils and Christian 
duties. The absolute precepts of divine law have two 
qualities — positive and negative. In speaking of these two 
qualities of absolute precepts, I shall call your at- 
tention first to the negative and secondly to the posi- 
tive. 

Absolute negative precepts apply to and forbid all 
sin, or moral evil. As an example of these absolute 
negative precepts I call your attention to Gal. 5: 19-21: 
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are 
these: Adultery, fornication, uncleaness, lasciviousness, 
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, 
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunken- 
ness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you be- 
fore as I have also told you in time past, that they which 
do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." 
This one example is sufficient for an illustration. 



184. CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Throughout the New Testament you will find these nega- 
tive precepts that forbid the practise of sin in thought, 
word, or deed. 

The positive absolute precepts enjoin Christian duty 
to God and to man. As an illustration of this class of 
precepts I call your attention to Matt. 22: 37-40: "Jesus 
said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all 
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 
This is the first and great commandment. And the sec- 
ond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy- 
self. On these two commandments hang all the law and 
the prophets." These two great commands form the 
basic principles of the eternal law of God. "Love," 
says Paul, "is the fulfilment of the law." Therefore 
when a man loves God supremely and his neighbor as 
himself, he will ever be found doing his duty both to his 
God and to his fellows. 

These absolute precepts, whether positive or negative, 
are universal, unchangeable, and unaccommodative. 
These qualities are necessary on account of the very 
nature of the sins these precepts forbid and the duties 
they enjoin. Concerning sin and moral evils, we agree 
with Solomon in saying that "sin is a reproach to any 
people." Hence the necessity of forbidding sin in all 
people. Whatever in its nature would defile the soul of 
man or corrupt the society of man must, in order to se- 
cure the glory of God and the happiness of man, be for- 
bidden. On the other hand, human happiness in its pur- 
est and highest sense is impossible without supreme love 
to God and equal love to neighbor. This is a universal 
truth based upon the object of God in the creation of 
man and the nature of man in relation to his God and 
to other men. If we account that sin is universally op- 
posed to God and degrading to men and that supreme 
love to God and equal love to one's neighbor is a uni- 
versal necessity to the highest happiness of man, we 



DIVINE LAW. 185 

rightly perceive that the absolute precepts of divine 
law must necessarily be universal in their application if 
they are to glorify God and exalt man. 

RELATIVE PRINCIPLES. 

The relative principles of divine law, unlike the ab- 
solute precepts, are not always uniform in their appli- 
cation; their very nature permits their accommodation 
to the varying demands of environments. These prin- 
ciples never apply to actions that in themselves involve 
an absolute moral law. In other words, these relative 
principles never serve as absolute law in dealing with 
moral evils and Christian duties. One instance of a rela- 
tive principle will suffice as an illustration. In 1 Tim. 
2 : 9 we read, "In like manner also that women adorn 
themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and 
sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or 
costly array/' "Modest apparel" here represents a rela- 
tive principle. What is modest apparel in one relation 
is not always modest apparel in every other relation. 
Therefore the injunction to wear modest apparel is not 
an absolute uniform law. Can any of you tell me pre- 
cisely just what particular articles of dress will consti- 
tute modest apparel under all circumstances and con- 
ditions? The attempt to construe this principle, modest 
apparel, as an absolute precept would result in our wear- 
ing a uniform and in adhering to that particular uni- 
form under all conditions and in all countries. "Ab- 
surd," you say, and indeed it is; but it is not the first 
absurdity that ever resulted from a misconstruction of 
the Word of God concerning the subject of dress. 

To say nothing of the necessity of adapting one's ap- 
parel to the varying demands of national customs that 
find in our own country circumstances and conditions that 
vary the kind and the quality of clothing necessary to 
constitute modest apparel. To illustrate: Suppose I 



186 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

go to a logging-camp somewhere in the backwoods to 
preach the gospel to rough woodsmen. Should I go with 
polished boots, a neatly pressed and creased black suit, 
a smoothly ironed white shirt, a high collar, 
and a stiff hat, I might find an undesirable gulf 
between me and my hearers; whereas if I should go 
in a pair of coarse boots, an ordinary suit, a clean col- 
ored shirt, and a soft hat, I might mount a stump at 
some convenient place in the camp and make all my rus- 
tic hearers feel quite at home with me while I taught 
them the simple truths of the gospel. An adaptation of 
my language might also be necessary. Should I illus- 
trate my points to the woodsmen by the rules of the 
clearing-house, by uncommon laws of commerce in a 
large city, or by far-fetched principles from science and 
astronomy, I might not be so successful as if I should 
use illustrations more common to their thoughts. They 
would better understand, for instance, an illustration 
something like this: When God finds the sinner, he is 
like a crooked sawlog: he must be put into the gospel 
sawmill and have all the knots and crooks sawed off till 
one side is straight; then he must be turned over and 
over until all the knots and crooks are sawed off and he 
is a straight, square stick. When the gospel sawmill has 
finished with the sinner, he will find himself consider- 
ably smaller, but straight with God and square with the 
world. 

Now change the scene for a moment. How much in- 
fluence should I have with a congregation of well-dressed 
men and women in New York or Chicago should I stalk 
up the aisle of a modern church and step into the car- 
peted pulpit with my lumber-boots on and my trousers 
stuffed into my boot-legs, and begin preaching to them in 
the familiar language of the lumbermen? Thus, it is 
clear that what is modest apparel in one relation is not 
necessarily modest apparel in every other relation. Other 



DIVINE LAW. 187 

relative principles might be cited, but this one is suffi- 
cient to illustrate the nature and application of all. 
Relative principles will be found more often to apply 
to national, domestic, and religious customs. 

PRECEPTS AND PRINCIPLES CONTRASTED. 

Let me now call your attention to some contrasts be- 
tween absolute precepts and relative principles. Since 
absolute precepts involve questions of moral evils and 
Christian duties, it is necessary that we give to them a 
uniform interpretation. They are the basis of the unity 
of faith and the fundamentals of the Christian religion. 
Relative principles, on the other hand, since they do not 
involve moral questions in the primary sense, are not 
necessarily uniform in their application. The form of 
the external application of the latter is varied by the way 
in which they are related to existing circumstances and 
conditions. Absolute precepts are never accommodated, 
or changed to suit varying circumstances. Such is nei- 
ther possible nor necessary: not possible, since to ac- 
commodate an absolute precept would permit men to sin 
and relieve them of Christian duty; not necessary, since 
there are no circumstances nor combinations of circum- 
stances under which men can not by the help and grace 
of God quit sin and love God with all their hearts and 
their neighbors as themselves. Relative principles, to 
the contrary, are often accommodated to suit the vary- 
ing circumstances under which men are placed. This is 
both possible and desirable: possible, because such an 
accommodation does not necessarily admit sin nor excuse 
men from Christian duty; desirable, because it permits 
the absolute precepts necessary to salvation and holy 
living to go unhindered to men of every clime and under 
every condition of earthly existence. 

It was concerning these relative principles, and particu- 
larly concerning religious customs, that Paul said: "I 



188 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

am made all things to all men, that I might by all means 
save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake that I 
might be partaker thereof with you." He even said that 
he became to those who were without the law as without 
law; but he was careful to add, "Being not without law 
to God, but under the law to Christ." This parenthetical 
expression gives us to understand that Paul did not ac- 
commodate himself to the lawless in that degree that he 
partook of their sins or neglected his Christian duty. 
It was only in those external forms and ceremonies which 
in themselves did not involve a moral law that he accom- 
modated himself to their circumstances. His object was 
that he "might save some." 

Many grave errors have been committed through a lack 
of understanding the difference between absolute pre- 
cepts and relative principles. On the one hand through 
an overzealous desire to add numbers to the church and 
make the way to heaven easy, some have attempted to 
accommodate the demands of absolute precepts to the 
desires of men in such a way as to admit men to the 
church without their forsaking sin or performing their 
Christian duties. On the other hand, through an un- 
wise zeal to bring men to the demands of God and keep 
the church pure, some have made mere relative principles 
absolute and binding upon all men alike. In this latter 
class we are likely to be included. We have dealt out 
unmixed with mercy the just censure due those com- 
promising churches who let down the absolute standard 
of righteousness and permit men to be deceived into 
thinking that they are going to heaven in their sins; but 
we are sure to cause endless trouble and incurable dis- 
sensions among ourselves if we attempt to set up a rela- 
tive principle as an absolute precept and demand all to 
see it and to practise it alike under all circumstances 
and conditions. 

I wish I might transport this entire body of ministers 



DIVINE LAW. 189 

to India, Africa, or China for six months and then bring 
them home again. There I trust that we should discover 
the art of accommodation without learning the evils of 
compromise. 

I have now spoken to you of what we might call the 
statute-law of the church. This is the law given us by 
the inspired legislators of the kingdom of God. It is 
known as the New Testament, the Word of God, the per- 
fect law of liberty. I have divided this law in a general 
way into absolute precepts and relative principles. So 
long as we adhere to this divinely inspired and recorded 
law and rightly divide it, there is little danger of fa- 
naticism, or compromise, or of dissension. The statute- 
law of the church is divine and perfect. When it is 
rightly understood and rightly divided, we see it alike. 
Some one has said, "What we know, we know alike; but 
when we guess, we differ." 

ECCLESIASTICAL TRADITION. 

There is, however, another law of the church — I speak 
now of the church in a popular sense — which agrees in 
a measure to the common law of the nation. We may call 
it ecclesiastical tradition. It is created in two ways: 
first, by the decisions of councils, synods, or other eccle- 
siastical bodies; second, by the common consent of a 
community recognizing certain principles as religious 
law. All tradition, of course, is supposed to have had 
an authoritative beginning and an accurate transmission. 
Finding that authoritative starting-point of many tradi- 
tions, however, is not unlike hunting for the pot of gold 
at the end of the rainbow. The fact is that much of our 
church traditions and ecclesiastical dogmas is not founded 
upon the Word of God, but is the result of that senti- 
ment in man that inclines him to revere the antique. 
Modern culture and civilization have not altogether taken 
out of man the inclination to ancestral worship. It is 



190 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

quite common, therefore, to hear people justify them- 
selves by the law of their ancestors regardless of the 
written Word of God and the present conceptions of its 
divine light. We can not deny that the New Testament, 
or much that is contained in it, was originally communi- 
cated by oral tradition; but Providence, through an 
abundant mercy for the world, saw fit to complete divine 
law and give us all that is necessary to life and godli- 
ness through Jesus Christ and his successors. Otherwise 
the world itself could not hold the books that would have 
purported to be divinely inspired. Church tradition is 
closely allied in nature to the habits of an individual or 
the customs of a people. When a thing has long been 
done in a certain way, that way of doing it becomes re- 
vered by all and thus establishes itself as a law. 

Christendom has marked its pathway through the cen- 
turies with traditions, creeds, and dogmas. The oldest 
of creeds is what is commonly known as the Apostles' 
Creed. The Nicene Creed was adopted at the Council 
of Nicaea in 325 A. D. About the eighth century we 
find the Athanasian Creed. The Confession of Augs- 
burg was among the first of the Protestant creeds. As 
we come on down through the centuries since the Ref- 
ormation, creeds rapidly increase. Some one has said, 
"Christianity gave us the New Testament, Catholicism 
gave us a book of martyrs, Protestantism a thousand 
creeds." 

Catholicism accepts the traditions of the church as 
equal in value with the revealed and written Word. A 
Catholic author of the little book entitled "Catholic Be- 
lief," discusses this point. Says he: "Some may ask: 
Which of these two divine words (the written word and 
tradition) is the more useful to us? 

"Like two sacred rivers flowing from paradise, the 
Bible and divine Tradition contain the Word of God, the 
precious gems of revealed truth. 



DIVINE LAW. 191 

"Though these two divine streams are in themselves, 
on account of their divine origin, of equal sacredness, 
and are both full of revealed truths, still, of the two, 
Tradition is to us more clear and safe." 

This little book labors somewhat at length to prove the 
supremacy of tradition over the written Word. The au- 
thority of the book is undoubted, for it is not published 
by the enemies of the Catholic Church, but by Benzieger 
Brothers, New York, printers to the Holy Apostolic See. 
For my part, I prefer the authority of the written Word 
of God to that of tradition, particularly so when the tra- 
dition is separated by two thousand years from the time 
of its origin. No one can doubt the unreliability of tra- 
dition. Any one who is inclined to do so should read 
the tradition of Papias, who quotes the Lord as saying, 
"The days will come in which vines shall grow, having 
each ten thousand branches, and in each branch ten thou- 
sand twigs, and in each true twig ten thousand shoots, 
and in every one of the shoots ten thousand clusters; 
and every grape, when pressed, will give twenty-four 
measures of wine." Papias relates that Judas was 
crushed by a chariot, so that his bowels gushed out. 
Justin Martyr informs us, on the authority of tradition, 
that when the Lord stepped into the waters of Jordan 
to be baptized by John, a fire was kindled in the river. 
The apocryphal gospels of a later age relate numerous 
miracles of Christ in infancy and boyhood, contrary to 
John 2:11. 

Though Protestantism does not exalt tradition above 
the Word of God nor consider it equal with the written 
Word, yet the deplorable divided condition of Protest- 
antism is largely due to traditionalism. Disciplines, 
creeds, and dogmas have divided and subdivided pro- 
fessed Christians until today creeds and sects are ris- 
ing and falling so rapidly that probably no man could 
tell just how many hundred sects there are in the world. 



192 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

We, of all people, profess to hold the written Word 
of God as supreme. We profess, moreover, that we 
have no other creed besides the New Testament. Let 
us, then, be careful that we do not fall into ancestral 
worship and preach as divine law what Brother A and 
Brother B taught thirty years ago. Let us be careful 
also that we do not begin to legislate and bind upon the 
consciences of men the decisions of human councils. It 
matters little whether our creed be written or unwritten. 
In some respects a written creed is safer than an unwrit- 
ten one. As water can not rise above its own level, so 
human tradition and human law can not lift man above 
himself. God's Word is divine. "Let us therefore re- 
ceive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able 
to save our souls." Human tradition has in it the very 
elements of stagnation and death ; the divine and inspired 
Word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is an inex- 
haustible source of divine light and spiritual life. It 
takes but a little while to exhaust the contents of a human 
creed, and then stagnation sets in ; but who has ever been 
able to reach the depths of riches and life and light found 
in the divine Word. If we cling to it only, we shall find 
ourselves with enough light shining on our pathway to 
keep us going ever forward, and spiritual stagnation and 
moral darkness will not be known to us. 

THE LAW OF THE INDIVIDUAL. 

Having now dealt with the law of the universe, the 
law of the nation, and scmewhat more extensively with 
the law of the church, let me call attention to one other 
law — the law of the individual. Paul says of the heathen 
who do not have the written law: "For when the Gentiles, 
which have not the law, do by nature the things con- 
tained in the law, these having not the law, are a law 
unto themselves: which show the work of the law written 
in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and 



DIVINE LAW. 198 

their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing 
one another." Rom. 2:14, 15. This text, with many 
others, teaches definitely that the conscience is the law 
of the individual. I shall not here take the time to de- 
fine the conscience and to follow the very interesting 
subject of the conscience throughout its various rami- 
fications, but I will merely say that I understand the 
conscience to be an underived principle in man, a divine 
instinct by which he becomes conscious of the Tightness 
or the wrongness of conduct. It is, of course, subject to 
education. Whether educated or uneducated, however, 
it is still the moral law of the individual. In saying this 
I do not mean to exempt the individual Christian from 
the law of the Christian church — the New Testament; 
yet there is a sense in which the Christian conscience 
educated by the Word of God becomes the personal law 
to the individual Christian. By calling the conscience 
the law of the individual I mean simply this, that his 
conscience is not intended by God to rule either the na- 
tion or the church. Your conscience is for you to live 
by, and mine is for me to live by. 

There is, of course, a sense in which each of us should 
regard the conscience of every other Christian, but this 
temporary conformation of the conduct of one to the 
conscience of another is merely the result of charity. 
Paul says in Rom 14: 19-21: "Let us therefore follow 
after the things which make for peace, and things where- 
with one may edify one another. For meat destroy not 
the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is 
evil for that man who eateth with offense. It is good 
neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing 
whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made 
weak." Again, Paul says in 1 Cor. 8: 13, "Wherefore if 
meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no meat while 
the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." 
This text is sometimes misconstrued to say, "If meat of- 



194. CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

fend my brother, I will eat no meat while the world 
standeth." The true thought is brought out in the last 
of the verse: "lest I make my brother to offend." The 
idea is that we should not do a thing even if our own 
conscience will permit it, if by the doing of that thing 
we cause our brother to offend Christ. It is for the sake 
of the weak brother's soul and on account of his weak 
conscience that we adjust ourselves to his weakness until 
he can be made strong. It is erroneous and destructive 
to Christian liberty, however, to make the weak con- 
science the standard of the church. We should conform 
to the uneducated consciences of the weak brethren just 
long enough to educate their consciences. Much trouble 
and dissatisfaction, faultfinding and dissension, have 
been caused by an attempt to make the conscience of the 
weak the uniform law of the church. 

EXTENSION OF THE DIVINE LAWS. 

In conclusion, let me call your attention to the ex- 
tension of the divine laws I have mentioned. Natural 
law, we suppose, extends to all the material universe, 
our national law extends to this nation only, the law of 
the Christian church extends to all the church, and the 
law of the individual extends to the individual only. A 
clear conception of this extension of divine laws is in- 
dispensably necessary to a successful Christian ministry. 
The necessity of rightly applying these laws and the re- 
sults of their wrong application will be apparent if we 
begin with the law of the greatest extent and descend. 
For instance, no one would think of trying to run the 
universe by the law of the nation. A man might ex- 
perience no little difficulty if he should attempt to run 
even one other nation — Great Britain, for instance — by 
the laws of the United States. Those who are in anywise 
acquainted with the temper of the British know how they 
would feel about having the British empire run by the 



DIVINE LAW. 195 

laws of the United States. Then again, the law of the 
church is inadequate and unsuited for a national law. 
Though both are moral laws, there is a difference in the 
nature of the subjects, and hence there is a necessary 
difference both in the law and in its administration. Just 
as the law of the nation will not apply to the universe, 
as the law of the church will not suffice for the nation, 
so the law of the individual was never intended as the 
universal law of the church. 

We, as a people, have been irrevocably committed to 
the heaven-born doctrine of unity. Whether we have 
hitherto fully understood it or not, unity of the spirit is 
the basis of all unity. Labor hard as we will to get 
men's heads together, unity in the church can never be 
accomplished until men's hearts are cemented together 
in the love of God. It is not enough, however, that we 
be one in spirit only. We must proceed from the unity 
of the spirit as a first principle, to the unity of the faith. 
Though the head and the heart may have, in a degree, 
a part in each, yet, in a sense, the unity of the spirit 
pertains to the heart, and the unity of doctrine to the 
head. The unity of the spirit is accomplished instan- 
taneously upon the regeneration of the soul, but the 
unity of faith is a progressive work, the accomplishment 
of which may require considerable time. 

Since the unity of faith is, in one sense at least, a 
mental process, we shall have to find some common 
ground from which to start, some standard of judgment 
acknowledged by all, if we are to reach a common con- 
clusion. What is this common ground of Christian faith? 
What but the revealed and written Word of God is the 
standard of judgment to which we can all unanimously 
consent? The minute we leave revealed truth and begin 
to speculate in human theories or to make human laws, 
we are as certain to be divided as it is manifestly the 
divine purpose for us to be united. Let us therefore 



196 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

preach the Word, the whole Word, and nothing but the 
Word. 



TWO KINGDOMS. 197 

Two Kingdoms. 

In the Auditorium, Tuesday morning, June 10, 
by Geo. L. Cole. 

My subject is: The Kingdom of Christ and the King- 
dom of this World in contrast; also their relation one 
to the other and our individual relation to each. As 
a text I will read Luke 22 : 24-26 — "And there was also 
a strife among them, which of them should be ac- 
counted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings 
of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they 
that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 
But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among 
you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, 
as he that doth serve." 

We learn by this that there is a radical distinction 
between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of 
Jesus Christ. In the 20th chapter of Matthew and the 
20th verse we read, "Then came to him the mother of 
Zebedee's children with her sons, worshiping him, and 
desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, 
What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these 
my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and 
the other on the left, in thy kingdom. * * * And when 
the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation 
against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto 
him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles 
exercise dominion over them, and they that are great 
exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so 
among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let 
him be your minister." We have the same record with 
the same language in St. Mark 10:35-45. It must be 
that the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of the 
Lord are so different in nature, authority, rule, admin- 
istration, etc., that the language here recorded was called 
forth. The disciples had a wrong conception of Christ's 



198 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

kingdom. Their viewing it from the standpoint of an 
earthly kingdom is what caused them to aspire to the 
position they sought. 

CIVIL GOVERNMENT NECESSARY. 

Earthly kingdoms are all right in their place. It is 
said that God rules in the kingdoms of men, but it is 
not in the absolute sense or perfect sense in which he 
rules in his kingdom. But "The powers that be are 
ordained of God." The governments that exist are to 
some extent carrying out his purpose. They are only 
following out the principle that God planted in man. 
Such institutions should be in this world. They came 
about in a natural way. There was no such kingdom 
as an earthly kingdom when God first made man. There 
was no need of anything of the kind. God placed man 
in a beautiful garden that he had made for the conven- 
ience of man and woman, and this was their dominion. 
It was suitable for them in their condition at that time; 
but men began to multiply upon the face of the earth 
after the fall of man into sin, hence man could not govern 
himself on all lines; therefore he needed some help, 
and God ordained that civil government should help the 
man that could not govern himself. Civil governments 
came about as a necessity to meet an emergency and 
have been a necessity ever since, because the human 
family have grown no better, but rather worse. 

The first kings of earth were simply men of authority 
in cities, each king ruling over one city ; but finally their 
authority began to take in cities and countries, and even 
nations began to be formed. Heads for those nations 
were necessary, as kings, governors, presidents, etc. All 
this was essential for the development of civil govern- 
ment, which is ordained of God. There is a spirit of 
anarchy in the world today, and the thing is also among 
the American people as elsewhere. We are in favor of 



TWO KINGDOMS. 199 

civil government. God never intended one to be set 
against the other. He intended that his kingdom should 
reach all over the world and among all nations, and to 
all kingdoms, and that his kingdom should be planted 
in the hearts of the people. 

The establishing of earthly kingdoms, the setting of 
their bounds and the extending of their territory, the 
conquering and subduing of other nations, was done by 
sword and bloodshed. It was done by human force. 
The kingdom of heaven differs so widely from earthly 
kingdoms in that respect that the scripture says: "He 
shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his 
voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, 
and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth 
judgment unto victory." Matt. 12:19, 20. In ancient 
wars, men would get out their trumpets, and summon 
their armies, set up their implements of war, and be- 
gin to beat down the power that they wished to con- 
quer. God's plan was to be different. 

Christ's kingdom. 

"In the days of those kings the God of heaven shall 
set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed." The 
kingdom that the God of heaven set up was as a stone 
set up in a mountain, cut out without hands. It was 
not brought about by bloodshed and blowing the trum- 
pet and preparing for war, for "They shall not hurt nor 
destroy in all my holy mountain." Christ planted his 
truth in the hearts of men and women peaceably and 
quietly. He did not try to break down the government, 
but to get sin out of the hearts of men, to get men out 
of sin and in harmony with God and his glorious plan 
of salvation, not only for this world but for the eternal 
world as well. 

The law was not made for the righteous, but for sin- 
ners; it is to rule the unholy. It is made for the "pun- 



200 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

ishment of evil-doers, and the praise of them that do 
well." The civil government should honor the righteous 
principles of the kingdom of Christ. They should ap- 
preciate having in their realm men and women that ad- 
here to those righteous principles that Jesus Christ 
brought and planted in his kingdom. Earthly govern- 
ments sometimes think that we, as the people of God, are 
trying to gain possession of their authority and put them 
down, hence they fight for their authority; but we come 
to do them good; we are for peace and not for war. 

"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 
shall be to all people." The coming of Jesus Christ was 
not to strike terror to civil, or earthly, governments. 
Wherever Christianity has gone, earthly governments 
have been and are made prosperous. The apostle said, 
"First of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and 
giving of thanks, be made for all men: for kings, and 
for all that are in authority." We should pray for 
them so that they may live honest lives, that they will 
work in harmony with the gospel message, which is 
for the salvation of souls, that the kingdom of God 
may be extended and salvation work be unhindered. 
Pray for peace and not for agitation. Beloved, the 
kingdom of Christ is not desirous of war or political 
trouble, but it is for peace among nations. Thank 
God for all that we have of national peace today. 

Now the Lord Jesus Christ came to plant his king- 
dom in the earth and to establish it in the hearts of men 
and women, and not to oppose other kingdoms. He de- 
sires that we get our hearts so wrapped up in his king- 
dom that we are not interested in anything else. Many 
of those who are useful for Christ in this world have 
said, "I care for little of anything except that which goes 
to the interests of the kingdom of God." God has called 
us to his kingdom and glory that we might enjoy his 
blessings to the largest extent possible. If we give our 



TWO KINGDOMS. £0J 

hearts and lives to Christ's kingdom and its success, wc 
have but very little time to spend in the interests of the 
earthly. Why is it that professors of Christianity get 
so wrapped up in political affairs and care but little for 
the kingdom of God? They have left the heights of 
Lebanon and have descended from the heavenly to the 
earthly. Let people that know not Christ, interest them- 
selves in earthly governments, and let the people of God 
put their whole interest in the kingdom of Christ, and 
thus increase the righteous influence among men. 
Christian influence will aid civil rulers to do better than 
they could do without our help. 

Brother Warner said that one time there was a man 
working with him in the gospel work, but he quit the 
gospel and began to work in the political world. He 
said, "Brother Warner, what are you doing to save the 
world?" The reply was, "I am keeping saved and 
sanctified myself; that much of the world is saved." 
"What do you do to get the world right?" "I am trying to 
keep one man right, by keeping salvation, and am trying 
to get every other man right through salvation." We can 
reform this whole world by helping them to get saved. 

Where did the authority of the earthly kingdom come 
from ? Where is the source of authority for civil govern- 
ments? The highest source of authority in civil govern- 
ment is found in the government itself, in the people 
of the government. And the government can rise no 
higher than its own source. The authority of earthly 
governments is in the government itself, and the highest 
rule and authority is vested in the highest officer in the 
government. And if the ruler should fail before his 
time expired, or if he should die, they choose one from 
another part of the kingdom and place him at the head. 
There is always a climbing up from the bottom to the 
top. The man today at the head of the civil govern- 
ment, was one day down at the bottom. From some 



202 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

place among the common people, he has climbed to the 
highest. The source of authority is in the people 
themselves. 

What about the authority of the kingdom of Christ? 
"Thou art my son; I have this day begotten thee." 
To this end he was born and brought into the world. 
Pilate said, "Art thou a king, then?" He is a king 
and "he must reign until he hath put all enemies under 
his feet." "Thy king shall come unto thee sitting on 
an ass." He came and what did they say? "Blessed 
is the king that cometh in the name of the Lord." 
"Blessed is the kingdom of our Father David." What 
was the trouble with the Jews? They did not have an 
earthly king. Did God intend that they should have? 
No, he did not intend that. He intended that the Mes- 
siah should be the first king of his people, but they 
persisted until he gave one to them to their own sorrow. 
When God gave them a king, they had a government 
with an earthly king, and when the Messiah came they 
expected him to occupy the same position as their 
earthly king. The disciples had the earthly kingdom in 
view instead of the spiritual kingdom; James and John 
wanted to get up next to the Lord and the others got 
indignant. They all had the same conception of the 
kingdom. Jesus alone understood the nature of his 
kingdom. 

Once a lady in Chicago came to me and said, "I don't 
think I ever can believe in every point like you people." 
She said concerning the millennium. "I believe in a 
millenium and you don't believe in it. Don't you know 
I have been working among the Jews and that they 
all believe in a millennium?" It just dawned upon me 
to say the Jews always did believe in a millennium. 
They thought that when Jesus would come to the earth 
he would reign as a temporal king for a thousand years. 
They wer e wrong then, were they not? Jesus said, 



TWO KINGDOMS. 203 

"My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, 
then my servants would fight, that I should not 
be delivered to the Jews: but now is my king- 
dom not from hence." Christ's kingdom is not of 
this world, it is from heaven. His kingdom is not of 
this world; but the Jews' kingdom was of this world, 
and their conception of the Messiah's kingdom was like 
their own except that it would last a thousand years. 
I said to the lady, "The Jews were wrong then"; and 
she said, "Yes." Then I said, "They are wrong yet, 
for they have never changed." That very principle is 
the foundation of all millennium doctrine. If they get a 
sight of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is 
no room for a millennium; because everything that they 
are going to have in the millennium we have in the 
kingdom today and what they will have in the one 
thousand years, we have now. They are just as 
wrong as the Jews were wrong. They did not see that 
Jesus was working in the interests of a kingdom that 
was going to reach all nations, and therefore to save 
their kingdom they must kill Him. But the death of 
Christ was the very thing necessary in order that the 
kingdom get hold of the hearts of men. There is no 
story that will get hold of men's hearts and break them 
up with conviction like the story of the cross. Tell it 
more; preach it more. 

We find that the authority of earthly kingdoms is of 
this world. "Therefore speak they of the world and the 
world heareth them"; but we that are of God, we speak 
the Word of God, and "he that is of God heareth us"; 
and that is why the spiritual people can see the 
spiritual kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
Christ has worked out in their hearts and in their lives 
the principles of the kingdom. Glory to God ! he is king 
already. 

When the people crowned the one who inherited the 



804 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

throne, or was chosen king, they all shouted "God save 
the king!" In like manner those who wrongly believe 
the Messianic kingdom to be yet future, expect to help 
place the crown on Jesus' head. That will do for 
earthly kings in the kingdom of this world. But Christ 
was born a king. Thank God, we are "translated into 
the kingdom of his dear Son." Jesus Christ was crowned 
king at the establishment of the kingdom over nineteen 
hundred years ago, not by the puny hands of men, but 
by the Father himself. "And he must reign as king 
till he hath put all enemies under his feet." 1 Cor. 
15:25. 

Where does the authority of the spiritual kingdom come 
from? John the Baptist said, "A man can receive noth- 
ing except it be given him from heaven." John got his 
commission from heaven. Jesus did not go to the high 
priest, or to the earthly ruler to get his commission 
to baptize and preach the everlasting gospel. "And 
when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and 
the elders of the people came unto him as he was teach- 
ing, and said, By what authority doest thou these things ? 
and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered 
and said unto them, I also will tell you one thing, which 
if ye tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what 
authority I do these things. The baptism of John, 
whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they 
reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From 
heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not believe 
him ? But if we shall say, Of men ; we fear the people ; 
for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered 
Jesus and said, We can not tell. And he said unto 
them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these 
things." Matt. 21:23-27. No, Jesus never told them 
but he told us in Matt. 28: 18, "All power is given unto 
me in heaven and in earth." And again, "For I have 
not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he 



TWO KINGDOMS. 205 

gave me a commandment what I should say, and what 
I should speak." John 12:49. "I came down from 
heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that 
sent me." He got his authority from heaven, but the 
earthly kingdoms get their authority from the world, 
and therefore they are of the world. Then let us 
never get carried away with an earthly reform. Let 
us get carried away with the kingdom of our Lord and 
Savior Jesus Christ. Let us get as far away from this 
old world as we can, and follow in the steps of our 
blessed Master. 

In the earthly kingdom the big fellows rule over the 
little fellows. That is the way it is in the world. How 
is it in the kingdom? It shall not be so with you, my 
brethren. If it is so, people have got a vision of the 
earthly authority and are trying to use it in the spiritual 
kingdom. To try to accomplish the mission and the 
ministration of authority in the Lord's kingdom with 
human authority like that of earthly kingdoms will not 
work. We are built on the foundation of the apostles 
and prophets, Jesus Christ the chief corner-stone. "He 
that is greatest among you, let him be your servant." 
The one that can serve best is the one that Christ sets 
over his household, "Which is the greatest, he that 
sitteth*"at meat or he that serveth?" Answer, He that 
sits at meat. But Jesus was one that served. He said 
to his faithful servants that he would come and serve 
them. In earthly kingdoms they start from the bottom 
and climb up to obtain authority, but in the kingdom of 
heaven we go down to get our authority. If you want 
a position in the kingdom of God, go down. If you 
have tried to climb up you had better begin to climb 
down. The more you go down, the better you can serve. 
We teach in the ordinance of feet-washing that we are 
one another's servants. 

The same principle is here represented by the king- 



206 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

dom. Jesus said the great ones ruled over the little 
ones in civil government, but it shall not be so with you, 
my brethren. The principle of humility will take out 
of our hearts the disposition to be a big fellow. 

The time of the establishment of the kingdom was in 
the days of the universal empire that ruled the world. 
There were four great world empires: first, the Baby- 
lonian; second, the Medo-Persian; third, the Grecian; 
and fourth, the Roman; and it was before the expiration 
of the fourth that God set up his kingdom. There is 
never going to be another universal empire like those 
four. The end will come first. Christ's kingdom is a 
spiritual kingdom. It is to extend from sea to sea and 
from the rivers unto the ends of the earth. Beloved, I 
am glad I am in this kingdom. He has "Translated us 
into the kingdom of his dear Son." This is not the future 
translation at the resurrection of the dead, but to salva- 
tion. Jesus said, Except a man be born of water and 
of the Spirit he can not enter the kingdom. Except a 
man be converted and become as a little child he can 
not enter the kingdom. Christ set a little child in 
their midst and said that Whosoever shall not receive 
the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter 
therein. Instead of getting bigger and bigger, you will 
get smaller and smaller in humility as you come down 
to more usefulness in the kingdom of God. 

EFFECT OF APOSTASY. 

I want to call your attention to the effect of the 
apostasy. When the great apostasy began, men lost sight 
of the divine authority and divine ministration of 
authority, because they lost spiritually, and they followed 
after the earthly. As they began to lose spiritually, 
they began to conform to the world, and as they con- 
formed to the world, by and by they usurped authority 
over earthly kingdoms. They reversed their former 



TWO KINGDOMS. 207 

methods, ceased to serve as in primitive days and began 
to rule like the Gentile kingdoms, the greater over 
the less. 

The apostate Church of Rome is in its nature human, 
and a duplicate of an earthly government. What got 
into the congregation at Rome? Was it not a disposition 
to get hold of more earthly power, to get hold of 
authority in this world, and later to extend their power 
and rule over the kingdoms of this world? There came 
a time when the bishop of Rome became the universal 
head of the church. That was nothing but the spirit of 
antichrist. A Roman bishop declared that when the 
Bishop of Constantinople was aspiring to the title of 
"universal bishop," that was the spirit of antichrist. 
He said that man that aspired to that title was the very 
antichrist mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Not 
less than four years later he died and another man 
was put in his place, as Bishop at Rome, and during 
his first year in office he received the title, "Head of 
the Universal Church." His title has descended to his 
successors. 

Who is the head of the Church of Rome? And how 
did he become head? * * * It was by the vote of 
the next lower set of officers. By the vote of the 
cardinals the pope was made head. Rome compares with 
earthly kingdoms. In what respect? If the head of 
the institution dies, he is out of office. If a man is 
put at the head of an institution and he dies, it is with- 
out a head. Christ is head over all things to the church 
and he will never die. Did he become head by the 
vote of the church? The same one that said, "Thou art 
a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec," he is 
the one that gave Christ his authority. He was not a 
self-made head. He got his head-ship from heaven and 
it stays with him today and will stay with him for- 
ever, so there is no change in the head-ship and there 



208 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

are no sub-heads. He is head over all things. Earthly 
kingdoms have often to choose a new head because the 
old head dies. Christ got his authority from heaven 
for the management of his church and kingdom. 

How is the heavenly authority ministered? It is 
ministered by the Holy Spirit that comes from heaven. 
If we are qualified by the Spirit we are ready to exer- 
cise authority. What is the extent of our authority? 
It is to preach the everlasting gospel. He gives us 
authority to preach the whole Word of God, heal all 
manner of sickness and disease, cast out devils, set a 
good example, and be an example to God's flock. We 
have authority to do all these things — reprove, rebuke, 
exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. Beloved, 
we have the authority, not for destruction, but for edifica- 
tion and building up and for encouragement. 

When the congregation at Rome spread herself over 
all the kingdoms of the earth and over all other people 
that would submit to her high claims of authority, then 
she became a copy of civil government, and tried to 
extend her powers in the very same spirit and in the 
same manner. Earthly kingdoms were brought about 
by bloodshed, and so was popery. As the power and 
arm of the civil law Was used to carry out her deadly 
purpose she destroyed hundreds, and thousands, and 
millions. Read in Fox's Book of Martyrs how the 
apostate church gathered up its earthly authority and 
tried to lay spiritual claims to that earthly authority, 
and thus to mix and tangle Church and State. 

Many of the advocates of Socialism claim that it 
is a good enough religion for them. My brethren, 
the church is a distinct nation, a Holy nation, and 
it is not to be tangled and mixed with other na- 
tions in the world. Jesus said, "Ye are not of the 
world." "I have chosen you out of the world." I 
am not preaching away poeple's power of citizen- 



TWO KINGDOMS. 209 

ship. You have your franchise; use it to the 
glory of God; it is your liberty. At the same time, 
remember that the ideal of a saint of Christ's kingdom 
should be the paramount thing. You can not beautify 
the Lord's kingdom in this world by political reforms 
while the corruption and depravity still remain in the 
hearts of the rulers. The divine law of the kingdom of 
Jesus Christ will lift a man out of the bad and will 
make him a good father, a good husband; it will make 
a woman a good wife and mother; it will make children 
peaceable and obedient; it will make neighbors kind and 
loving; it will make men good law-abiding citizens. We 
can be upright as subjects of the earthly kingdom and 
obey its laws, while our whole time, energy, thought, and 
effort should go as far as possible to the building up of 
the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

There are a great many people who would make us 
believe they are out and out for Jesus Christ. We 
examine their employment of time, talents, possessions, 
and we find that the large percent goes over to the 
world and not to the kingdom of Jesus Christ. God 
wants his portion as we go along. God's saints, or 
many of them, are blessed with poverty wherein abound 
the riches of their liberality to the glory of God. It 
would be a thousand times better to have been blessed 
with poverty and never own a dollar in this world, than 
to have great possessions and give it all to this world. 

Let the world build up her own interests and let the 
saints build up the interests of the kingdom of God. 
Because if we do not, who will? Why, JesUs is just 
as interested in the progress of the church today as 
when he suffered on the cross. Why did he thus suffer 
and shed his blood? That he might atone for you and 
me, that we might be saved. There was to be a fountain 
open to the house of David for sin and for unclean- 
ness. May this truth stir our hearts for the lost. 



210 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Catholicism is a duplicate of earthly kingdoms in rule 
and authority. Beloved, the kingdom of our Lord Jesus 
Christ is different from all earthly kingdoms. Following 
apostate Rome, we have protestant religions of many 
kinds, many sects. What about their authority? Where 
does it come from ? Sect institutions could not be 
modeled after the kingdom of God, hence they are all 
modeled after secular governments, like old mother Rome. 
One man, a preacher, who belonged to the same de- 
nomination I did, said concerning the Methodist Epis- 
copal government, that so perfect was the analogy be- 
tween it and the United States Government that it was 
almost a duplicate. Every one of the sect organizations 
could say the government of their church is similar to 
civil government. But not one of them is like the 
government of the Lord's kingdom. Why? Because his 
is a spiritual government. One is an earthly govern- 
ment and the other is a spiritual government. The 
earthly laws are for this life only, and the spiritual 
laws are for this life and for that which is to come. 
Membership in sect is only for this world. When you 
die they will drop your name. Just die and they will 
scratch it off. It will not be found there any more. 
If your name is in the book of life you will not lose 
it when you die. It will be there at the judgment-day, 
and whosoever is not written in the book of life shall be 
cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. 
It pays us to have our name on record in the Lamb's 
book of life in an institution that remains in the next 
world. It pays us to have our names written in the 
right place. People can not take it off the heavenly 
record. God will not take it off if we are true to him. 

The United Brethren, on one occasion, built a new 
meeting-house, dropped the old records and accepted 
only such as members whose names appeared on the new 
records. An rged lady was sick at the time and she 



TWO KINGDOMS. 211 

forgot to have her name placed on the new records. 
Ten years later she asked to have her name taken off 
the U. B. class records, and, behold, she found out she 
had not been a member for ten years. She rejoiced 
when she found out that she had not been a member 
all these years. Now her name was written in heaven 
and that was sufficient when the light came. They 
had my name five years while I was a Christian and six 
years while a backslider; but now it is in the book of 
life, where I hope it shall forever remain. 

SOME FEATURES. 

I was before a certain court at a certain place, and the 
lawyer said, "By what name are you known?" "Church 
of God," I said. "That is the name you have applied 
to yourself, is it not?" "No sir, that is the name in the 
New Testament, which God applied to his people." If 
we possess the life and sustain the character set forth in 
the New Testament we are worthy then of its title, 
provided we accept them exclusive of all others. The 
lawyer did not cross question me on that. When we get 
the light or the experience to sustain the character set 
forth in the Word of God, the titles belong to us. We 
do not simply assume them and take them to ourselves. 
You could take the title, church of God, and, if you 
went to conforming to the world you would become like 
the world with or without the name. What would the 
name, church of God, amount to if you are not one with 
it in Spirit and in all the doctrines and practises? 

We all believe in the one church. I ctacre preached 
a sermon on two churches, the ideal and the reaL That 
which we see in the plan of God, what Christ designed we 
should be, the standard as lifted up in the New Testa- 
ment, the life, the doctrine, the practices, the divine 
organization, with the operations and manifestations of 
the Spirit with all its finites, make up the ideal church. 



212 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

The real is what we are, with our defects and short- 
comings. If I were able to draw a perfect cube on the 
blackboard it would illustrate the ideal, and an imperfect 
one would illustrate what we are if we live below our 
privilege in Christ. 

It is possible to fall so far short of the real, that the 
real and the ideal can scarcely be identified by this old 
world. He wants them so exactly alike in every partic- 
ular — in love, in doctrine, in spirit, in all the essentials — 
that the two can not be told apart. There would then 
not be two any more; they would be one and the same. 
That is what God wants. Don't you see the importance 
of our measuring to the standard — the importance of our 
being exactly like the standard in the book? If we hold 
up a standard in the book and are not that way in 
reality, it is going to come back on us: "Physician, heal 
thyself; you first live according to the ideal, then come 
and teach us." 

God wants his people so raised up to the standard that 
they can say like one said of Jesus, "Come and see." 
We must live to the standard so that we are not ashamed 
of it. A mechanic does not want a person to inspect his 
work until he gets the finishing touches on it. God wants 
every local congregation up to the ideal. He wants every 
local congregation to represent him in the same sense of 
the term as he wants the whole body to represent him; 
and in order for the whole body to represent him, we 
must locally represent him and individually represent 
him. If we are individually what God wants us to be, 
we can in a local and general sense be what God wants 
us to be, "without spot and blameless." 

For want of light on the divine plan good people 
may honestly believe that they have a right to organize 
human institutions and call them churches. All such 
institutions are copies and models of earthly kingdoms, 
and they as such form no part of the kingdom of Christ. 



TWO KINGDOMS. 213 

Some of the first chosen disciples lived to see the king- 
dom of God come with power. That kingdom was com- 
plete long before the days of the apostasy. Human 
organization contributes nothing to the completion of the 
divine kingdom. The kingdom of God is still complete 
in and of itself. Should all humanly organized bodies 
dissolve, disband, cast aside their authority and cease 
their rule; the glorious Messianic kingdom would shine 
on in her pristine beauty and splendor. All the redeemed 
of earth would rally to her assistance in sending the 
gospel of the kingdom unto all nations for a witness 
before the end comes. Hallelujah! 

Since we have discerned the kingdom of God and the 
one true church of God; and understand from whence 
came its authority and ministration of its rule, we no 
longer lend assistance to the human crafts. Thank God, 
the divine plan is different from all others in nature, 
spirit, doctrine, faith and practice; also in authority 
and rule. 

Anything that has any other head than Christ, is not 
his spiritual body or kingdom. If it has any laws that 
man has enacted, any rule or authority that does not 
come from heaven, reject it. "For ye are complete in 
him," and "In him all fulness dwells." 

My heart, my soul, my life, my time, my talents, my 
gifts, my possessions, my all, are consecrated to the 
interests of my Lord's kingdom. It has my attention, 
my service for the present and shall have for all time 
to come. 



214 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Things to Remember. 

In the Auditorium, Tuesday afternoon, June 10, 
by J. W. Byers. 

"And I think it right, as long as I am in this taber- 
nacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance." 
2 Pet. 1: 13. 

Thank God, we have been blessed with a memory. 
This memory is capable of storing up the good things 
of God. We can drink these things into our hearts as 
the Word of God is preached, as our experiences en- 
large in God, and as we meet the different battles in 
life. There is something in every one of the defeats or 
successes that we ought to remember, something that, 
if stored up, will help us to be better able to make a 
success of this great salvation. 

I am sure the greatest success a man or woman can 
achieve in this world, is just to keep salvation. If I 
can keep it until Jesus calls me home, I consider I shall 
have made the greatest possible success in life. I am 
glad we can keep salvation. It is the will of God. If 
I just keep saved, God will do all the rest. I am not 
going to be troubled about what God is going to do 
with me. I used to want to be a whole lot, and to 
succeed in that; but I have learned the secret, that if 
I keep saved, God will do the rest. Whatever he wants 
to do with me, or through me, I am here. 

REMEMBER PAST BLESSINGS. 

There are many things that are good for us to re- 
member. When we have had an experience of six 
months, or ten years, twenty-five years, or fifty years, 
no matter how long, there have been wonderful things 
that God has done for us in that time, which, if we 
pass right by and forget, will only add to our confusion 
and to our condemnation in the day of judgment. It 



THINGS TO REMEMBER. 215 

behooves us to get our memories refreshed and to put 
on record in our hearts and minds those things that God 
has done for us. Those things that God has done for 
us we should sacredly hold in our hearts. We must not 
forget them, nor doubt them in times of trial. 

There is no doubt in your minds about this being 
the true way, is there? If there is, get rid of them. 
This is the way to glory. In my earlier experience the 
power of influence would sometimes be strong, theologians 
would bring in their arguments, and I would tremble 
and become confused. I would say, Lord, is it possible 
that after all we might be wrong? But, praise God! as 
I would get down in prayer and ask him to reveal the 
Word to me more and more, the assurance of the Spirit 
would answer: "This is the way." Thank God, not a 
doubt was left in my mind, not a single doubt. This 
is the way. 

Each of us has a separate life to live, a separate 
responsibility to fill in an experience that is peculiar to 
ourselves. Our individual experience must be one of our 
own. We can come to camp-meeting, and get wonder- 
fully helped from the prayers and testimonies of others, 
but we must have an individual experience, something 
we can take home with us and put into our daily lives; 
something we can take into our community, an in- 
dividual experience that fits our individual needs. And 
we can have it, an experience that will enable us to 
make a success in the Christian life. But we must 
remember the good things. 

THE COMMON FAILURE OF FORGETTING. 

In reading the different experiences given in the Bible, 
happening in different ages and times, I notice one of the 
greatest failures of the poeple of God was to forget; 
and when I look over my own life of thirty-seven years 
in a Christian experience, I believe some of the greatest 



216 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

mistakes I have made have been mistakes of forgetting. 
It is characteristic of human nature. Apparently we can 
retain so little in our memories because they become 
crowded full of other things. We become so absorbed 
in the earthly things that we forget the things of God. 
It is possible for us to become so negligent and forgetful 
and to place so little value on the sacred things of God, 
that we become weaklings and fail to adorn the doctrine 
we profess. Generally this leanness and weakness comes 
through an awful habit of forgetting. I pray this 
afternoon that God will help us to get our memories 
brightened up ; to take a stand against ourselves, and to 
get a better capacity to retain the precious things of 
God; to appreciate them as the most valuable things in 
this world. This is a very important point. I know 
by experience. And I see among the saints of God in 
many places that there is danger of losing the real 
estimation of the value of what God is doing in these 
last days. 

god's controversy with his people. 

I want to call your attention to what God said to the 
children of Israel through the prophet Micah. God said 
he had a controversy with the people. This controversy 
was against their forgetfulness. It was against that 
people who had been so wonderfully blessed and helped 
by the power of God. 

"Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend 
thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy 
voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, 
and ye strong foundations of the earth; for the Lord 
hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead 
with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee? 
and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. 
For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and 
redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent 



THINGS TO REMEMBER. 217 

before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, 
remember now what Balak, king of Moab, consulted, 
and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from 
Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness 
of the Lord." 

Bear in mind this thought especially, "O my people, 
remember." God had delivered them from Egypt, from 
the awful life of bondage, brought them through the 
Red Sea, fed them with manna, and led them by the 
hand, through a pillar of fire by night and of cloud by 
day; he had given them water from the rock; and still 
in the face of all those miraculous dealings, they would 
keep forgetting him. He had to send plagues in dif- 
ferent ways to remind them of the fact that he was 
leading them. Count back the years when God spoke 
to your own heart and see if you have been walking 
with gratitude and fear as you should. 

REMEMBER GOD's MERCY. 

I am sure today we have to say that we are unworthy 
of his mercy, and yet God has been so merciful to us. 
In the 13th chapter of Exodus and the 3rd verse regard- 
ing the passover, we read: "And Moses said unto the 
people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from 
Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength 
of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there 
shall no leavened bread be eaten." Every year they 
had to have that memorial of their deliverance from 
Egypt. Every time they ate the paschal lamb they had 
it in remembrance. We have a memorial day in the 
church of God that helps us to remember our deliver- 
ance from the bondage of sin. Jesus said we should 
drink the cup and eat the bread of the Lord's supper 
in remembrance of him. 

Remember how God brought conviction upon our 
hearts. It is good for each of us to consider that ex- 



218 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

perience when God brought us down to the place where 
we said, "I will." I shall never forget the time I said, 
"I will surrender. Lord, I yield, I yield." I thank 
God for that time and moment. When I remember that 
experience it makes me thank God for salvation more 
than for anything else in my life. We sometimes sing, 
"Oh, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away." 
I can sing that yet. That spot, that place — we may 
know the very place where the work was done. I can 
think of other wonderful events, but that is the most 
wonderful in my life — when this poor soul was rescued 
from the life of sin. Is it most wonderful to you? 
There is no place so sacred as the place where God 
spake peace to your soul. The longer we live, the 
more able we ought to be to glorify God for delivering 
us from sin. 

It does me good to remember how little I felt at the 
time I sought salvation, and that we have to keep 
just that little in order to retain salvation. You re- 
member how small you felt at that time? You were 
calling earnestly upon God for salvation. If someone 
would have come around and punished or injured you, 
would you have felt like taking revenge? You would 
have said, "Lord, forgive my sins." It is good to re- 
member how little we were at that time. When Jesus 
set a child in the midst of the disciples, I imagine it 
was a small child, one that was really unconscious of 
itself. Those big stalwart men looked down at that 
little child. "Except ye become converted and become 
as a little child, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of 
God." I believe the disciples could easily see that 
Jesus wanted to teach them to be small, like the little 
child, before they could enter the kingdom of heaven. 
If it requires that condition to get salvation, how much 
does it require to keep salvation? It requires the same 
degree of humility. The Lord help us to get this in our 



THINGS TO REMEMBER. 219 

hearts. If men ride over our heads, should we take it? 
If they smite us on the cheek, should we take it? If 
they speak falsely against Christ, should we take it? 
Should we sue them for slander? No. The Lord wants 
us to be insignificant and humble and place little esteem 
on ourselves. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." This 
does not mean the spiritually poor and lean, but the 
poor in spirit. "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 
Brethren, if you can remember how you felt in those 
times of humble submission, then you can find abundance 
of grace for all the trials of life. God says he will 
give us grace, but he gives graces to only one class of 
people. You know what class that is. He gives grace to 
the humble. Do we want to live where the streams of 
grace are flowing? Then let us keep real humble. 

ESTEEMING THE MEANS OP GRACE. 

When you were first saved, you remember how good 
the prayer-meetings and the preaching were? Do you 
remember how precious your Bible was? Was not the 
Book grand? Did it not seem like a letter Father had 
written to you? When was that? When you first got 
saved? How is it now? Are these things just as good 
now as they were then? just as sacred and beautiful 
to the soul as then? How about the prayer-meetings? 
Most of you no doubt are living in communities where 
some of the saints gather together for weekly meetings. 
I know some saints that do not get to meetings but 
once a year, and when you hear from them they report 
that they are saved and sanctified. There are others 
who get to meetings very frequently, live in close touch 
with the pastor, and yet are having a hard time to 
keep saved. Why is this? I will tell you why. It is 
because they too lightly esteem the sacred things of God. 
I wonder if you people here in this part of the country, 
are troubled like we are in the far west? Maybe the 



220 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

trouble is caused by the climate there. They say people 
get kind of sluggish out there. A person gets into a 
stupor when he is too cold as well as when the weather 
is warm. We can not attribute this spiritual stupor to 
climate. The cause is in ourselves. We let the devil 
impose upon us by forgetting the value of the things 
of God. God help us to shake off the stupor. 

Our prayer-meetings will indicate what kind of people 
we are. If we are spiritual people our spirituality will 
manifest itself in prayer-meeting. I never can enjoy a 
prayer-meeting where the saints are not spiritually alive. 
It is easily possible for us to become cold. You remember 
the experience of the church at Ephesus? This church 
and the one at Sardis, had forgotten to value the things 
of God. The message to them was, "Remember from 
whence thou art fallen and repent." Could that apply 
to any of us today? Have we left our first love? The 
church at Sardis did still worse; they actually had a 
name to live and were dead. 

We should keep alive in him. When a person is alive 
in God he will give some signs of life when the songs 
are sung, the testimonies given, or the word preached. 
I have seen people sit in their benches as though they 
had no life, as though they were paralyzed. When the 
truth goes forth, there should be a response. A certain 
sister once said that she had gotten inspiration from a 
certain face in a congregation to preach the word of 
God. Let us show our appreciation of the truth. Let 
us try by the grace of God to keep out of lethargy and 
stupor. Keep out of those ruts; get alive in God and 
make the places of worship ring with the praises of God. 

REMEMBER YOUR 8ANCTIFICATION. 

Remember when you were sanctified; remember what 
it cost you to be sanctified; remember what your sancti- 
fication cost Jesus. Do you remember that definite 



THINGS TO REMEMBER. 221 

positive consecration that seemed like death to you? 
The consecration required to get sanctified is the same 
that is required to keep sanctified. It meant every- 
thing to you; not a thing could be held in reserve. I am 
glad that the Lord brought that to my understanding. 
I had to pay the full price. We can make a consecra- 
tion today that will last throughout all eternity. An 
eternal YES — Can you say it? If you have not said 
it yet, God help you to say it before the meeting closes. 
The safest and sweetest place in all the world is in the 
will of God. 

I am glad that sanctification has not grown old in my 
heart. I was so glad the brother preached the first 
sermon of this camp-meeting on sanctification. Bless the 
Lord! it is just as good as it ever was. It brings my 
mind back to the time I met the conditions myself, and 
viewed the beauty of a sanctified life. This is an ex- 
perience that keeps us sweet, with victory over sin, in 
the center of God's will. 

Sanctification distinguishes Zion from Babylon. This 
is what brought Zion out of Babylon. People may be 
sanctified in the sects, but it is a scriptural fact that God 
will make the separation. There are some of God's 
people in sectarian Babylon yet. If they get a Bible 
experience of sanctification, they are eternally spoiled 
for the divisions of men. It is sanctifying grace that 
so unites God's people together that you can not hold 
them apart. Two sanctified hearts can not be divided. 
The germs of division are destroyed in a sanctified heart. 
You can not separate God's people, who have sanctified 
hearts. The yoke of men can never be put on a sanctified 
neck. It will never fit. Sanctification will break the 
yoke. "And it shall come to pass in that day that 
his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, 
and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be 
destroyed because of the anointing/' Isa. 10:27. It is 



222 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

the sanctifying grace that brought the church out of 
Babylon and keeps her out. 

May the Lord help us to remember the beautiful ex- 
perience of sanctification, the distinct, separate work of 
grace. It is as distinct as it ever was, a definite, second 
work of grace. Let us not forget what God has done 
for us, the price he paid for our sanctification, and the 
conditions upon which we have received the experience. 

REMEMBER THE GRACE OF HEALING. 

Do not forget the beautiful grace of healing, which 
is ours through the blood of Christ. Let us remember 
how God revealed divine healing to us, how God healed 
our bodies, and what he healed them for. No doubt 
many of you can say today that God has rescued you 
from death; that many times you have been taken down 
to death's door. Perhaps the majority of the congrega- 
tion here have been healed. Some were given up to die, 
but through the doctrine of healing a ray of hope sprung 
up in their hearts that Jesus Christ is the same yester- 
day, today, and forever, and they began to ask God 
to help. 

More than twenty-five years ago I tried divine healing. 
It worked all right then and has been working all right 
ever since. A few years ago I was healed of typhoid 
fever. God only knows how near I was to eternity; 
but through faith in the precious promises I was de- 
livered. In one week the fever was broken, and I began 
io amend. I realize this healing was for a purpose. If 
it were not for the healing power of God I would not 
be here today. My life belongs to God and must be 
spent in his service. God has healed you for the same 
purpose. Are you rendering to him that service today? 
Are you doing all God has healed you for? Have you 
ever 'made a promise that if God healed you, you would 
do what he wanted you to do? Are you true to that 



THINGS TO REMEMBER. 223 

vow today? If we do not remain true to God, there is 
danger of a worse affliction coming upon us. I dare not 
be untrue; I owe too much to God; I must obey him 
in all things because I love him and the fear of God is 
upon my heart. I remember these benefits and I re- 
member what they are for. 

REMEMBER YOUR DELIVERANCE FROM BABYLON. 

It is as precious today as ever to know that we are 
free from Babylon. I can shout against Babylon as 
much as I did when I came out of her. How good it is 
to enjoy these blessed privileges! Some poor souls say 
they can not see the need of leaving sectarianism. I 
thank God it was not hard for me to see when I saw 
the beautiful way of unity and purity. The reason 
people do not hear the voice, "Come out of her my 
people," is because they do not listen to his voice. God's 
people are obeying his voice. Let us praise God for 
Zion, the church of God. 

A certain brother who was saved but could not find 
anything in the way of a church that met his ideal 
from the Bible standpoint, was advised to join some 
church. He replied that by following out the Biblical 
specifications of what the church must be, he himself 
could make a better church than he could find any- 
where. Later this brother got hold of a Gospel Trumpet 
and found it was just what he had been looking for all 
these years. He was already in the Bible church. Let 
us remember the glorious light that God has given us 
on the church question. 

This wonderful salvation God gives us in these days, 
makes us all the more responsible for the light shed upon 
our path. Martin Luther and John Wesley in their days 
lived up to all the light God gave them and were ac- 
cepted in God's sight. Our fathers and mothers did 
the same, but they did not have the light that God 



224 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

has shined upon our hearts in these last days. If we 
are going to fulfil the purpose of God in our lives, 
we must walk in all the light of God. It is necessary 
that God give us more light because the darkness is 
so much more dense than it was. It is getting worse 
and worse. It requires every ray of light from heaven 
to enable us to walk right in this world, to make a 
success of the Christian life and to gain our eternal 
home. Let us sacredly cherish the light of the gospel, 
and remember the wonderful things God has done and 
is doing for us. 



REALITIES OF LIFE. 225 

Realities of Life. 

In tho Auditorium, Tuesday evening, June 10, 
by Lee Collins. 

I shall talk to you about some things that are real. 
In 2 Cor. 4:18 we read: "While we look not at the 
things that are seen, but at the things which are not 
seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but 
the things which are not seen are eternal." I desire to 
show by this scripture the reality of God, that all things 
that God's Bible speaks of, both pertaining to this life 
and the life to come, are real. 

It is not necessary for me to prove to you that there 
is a God, because the majority of people believe there 
is a God. While that is true, many people have a very 
gloomy conception of him, and do not realize that all 
the Bible claims him to be he really is. Oh, if the peo- 
ple of this world could once see the reality of God, it 
would be a valuable blessing to them. We know that 
the nature of the world is to deceive the minds of the 
people, and to make them disbelieve in the reality of the 
true God. The very spirit of this world is a spirit of 
fiction, which floods the mind with romantic ideas and 
gives a false conception of God, and impresses us with 
thoughts that life is not real, that eternity is merely a 
supposition brought down to us by tradition. 

Our life is real, and God wants us to know that life is 
real in every respect. When we are brought face to 
face with sin, and have tasted of its sorrows we are 
made to know that we are dealing with a reality. Yet 
it is plain to see that many people do not look at it 
that way. If the sinner knew the reality of life, if he 
would credit the Bible description of man's existence 
here, he would surely be in mourning. Oh, that man 
could get a proper conception of what eternity will 
mean, of what it holds in store for him! 



226 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Look into the skies and see the thousands of stars 
shining, and the moon floating serenely in the heavens; 
all these declare that God is real. The Bible says, 
"Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night 
showeth knowledge." Paul told the Romans that "the 
invisible things of him from the creation of the world 
are clearly seen." If the universe is real, its Creator 
must also be real. There is a God, and that God is the 
God of the Bible, and we must meet that God. 

I remember when I was a child and would look in 
the face of my father, who was an infidel, I would think 
he was the wisest man in the world. I would ask him 
about Christianity, why he did not go to meeting. I 
remember in the early days of my childhood he would 
say, "There is nothing in it. There is nothing real about 
it. The world has been here all the while, and it 
will always exist. It might have come by what 
men call evolution." But I know that there is a real 
God. 

SIX AND SORROW REAL. 

There is a kind of religious teaching in the world 
today that declares that sin is not real, that suffering is 
not real, and that death is not real; that these are all a 
mistake; that all is mind. But go tonight to the bedside 
of the afflicted and ask them if their suffering is real; 
and they will tell you that it is real. Go to the home 
from whence the corpse was taken in the hearse to the 
cemetery; ask them if a broken heart is a reality, or 
merely a dream or imagination. They will tell you that 
it is real. Friends, look behind the prison bars and talk 
to the poor inmates in the cells who are looking forward 
with dark expectation to their early execution ; ask them 
about their homes; call to mind and ask them about 
their families ; ask them if sin and trouble are not rela- 
tives. While in Virginia I visited a jail where a man 



REALITIES OF LIFE. 227 

had been placed a few days before for murder, and 
while we were there his little boy, who had not seen 
him since his arrest, came to see him. Oh, what a sad 
picture of real sorrow! If we could go to that poor 
woman who is separated from her companion, ruined 
and crushed by a vile life and forsaken by friends, and 
ask her if sorrow is real, she would surely declare that 
it is real. 

I see a young lady and a young man in the world; 
they go the way of humanity; they marry, settle down 
in a little cottage on the hill where everything is con- 
ducive to their happiness. They love each other. They 
live this way for a while, and pretty soon some one 
steals their affections; some awful creature enters into 
the still relationship of their home, steals away love, 
and destroys their happiness. Afterward, the husband, 
whose jealousy drives him to drink, comes home in an 
awful drunken fit and finds things as they should not 
be. He draws a revolver and slays his wife. The next 
day we find him in jail. We ask him if sorrow is a 
reality, and whether things in this world that pertain 
to a sinful life are real; or if he is simply dreaming or 
only imagining there is trouble. No, friends, he will 
tell you they are real. 

CHRIST REAL. 

We are living in a real world, a world where there 
is much sorrow. But Jesus Christ is a real Savior who 
can deliver us from these sorrows. The prophet says of 
him, 'The spirit of the Lord is upon me. He sent me 
to bind up the broken hearted; to preach the gospel 
to the poor.' We are living in an inventive age. We 
are astonished by the wonderful inventions of men. 
They can talk across the ocean without a wire; they 
can fly; they can do wonderful things; and we find all 
kinds of remedies for the afflictions of men. But have 



228 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

you ever seen a remedy recommended for the healing 
of a broken heart? No. Christ only is able to bind 
up the broken heart and to quiet the tempest of human 
anguish. Is Christ real? Yes; almighty God declared 
that Jesus was the Christ. Do you not remember when 
he took his disciples to the mount and was transfigured 
before them how the cloud overshadowed them, how that 
God said he was his Son? Thus the voice of God de- 
clared Christ was real. And that man who the Catholics 
say was the first pope, when asked by Christ, "Whom 
say ye that I am?" said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son 
of the living God." 

There is another witness to his realtiy. The man of 
the tombs, who was bound with chains, possessed with a 
legion of devils, cried, "I know thee, thou holy one of 
God." Thus devils declare him real. But above all 
other evidence, I would say that his works declare him 
real. They are the best proof of his reality. Friends, 
I know Christ is real. His sufferings were real. If 
you can get the proper understanding of salvation, you 
will have more confidence in its reality. You will place 
a greater estimate on its worth. It cost much to bring 
God's salvation into this world. 

Oh, the wonderful cost of salvation! What does it 
mean for this vast congregation of people to sit here 
night after night, and day after day, praising God that 
they are in this glorious evening light? What does it 
mean? Let us look back into the past, and see what it 
meant for Christ to bring this real salvation to us. 
When Christ came the world did not accept him. "He 
came to his own and his own received him not." What 
kind of a man was he? Was his life one of splendor? 
Did he come down through the tribe of Levi in all the 
glory of the Jewish priesthood? No; he came in a 
humble way, born in a place where there was no room 
for him in the inn, in a stable in the city of Bethlehem. 



REALITIES OF LIFE. 229 

The world knew nothing of what was taking place at 
that time. The proud Caesar reigning on his throne knew 
nothing of the great Sovereign born that night in his 
kingdom. At the time appointed he entered on his mis- 
sion. It was a mission of mercy, and one of suffering. 
"He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief." 
Now we see him opening the blind eyes, and weeping 
with the sorrowful. We hear him call the putrifying 
dead from the tomb. We find him feeding thousands, 
unstopping deaf ears, and extending mercy to a lost 
and fallen world. 

Say, is he not real? If you were blind, having never 
seen anything in life, men telling you you could never 
see, never had one glimpse of this beautiful creation, and 
Christ would suddenly open your eyes so that you could 
see men as trees walking, then see everything clearly, 
would you not believe him real? 

We see him going through the world doing good, 
but the world (with the exception of a few) rejected 
him. That few was a mere handful compared to the 
masses of the world. Many of them that did accept 
him turned back when he began to lay judgment to the 
line. They claimed that what he said was a hard say- 
ing; they did not believe he was the real Christ. Then 
he turned to the remainder and said, "Will you go also?" 
Peter knew he was real, and said, "Lord, to whom shall 
we go?" Thus many refused him, and when he en- 
tered Gethsemane there were just three who seemed to 
be his real companions or who could in a small meas- 
ure sympathize with him. Behold him as he leaves 
them there and withdraws himself a stone's cast, and 
kneels down to pray. There he wrestles in prayer, but 
the heavens are like brass. He gets no consolation. He 
turns back to them from whom he would get consola- 
tion, and behold, they are sleeping. Oh, what suffering 
it cost for us to have a good, clear conscience, yea, to 



230 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

have every good thing to enjoy, a real deliverance, a 

real redemption from sin! 

REALITY OF THE COST OF SALVATION. 

But the world does . not appreciate this salvation. 
They do not look for the Savior. Men do not realize 
their need. They can not see that life is real. What if 
Jesus had called to himself twelve legions of angels and 
left the world in sin? Where would man be tonight? 
Oh, how he loved us! We hear him pray in his agony: 
'If it is possible let this cup pass; if there is any other 
way to redeem man, if there is any other way for his 
escape, resort to it.' He turns back and finds them 
sleeping. The third time he goes to the Father and 
prays more earnestly, and sweats, as it were, great 
drops of blood. That is what it meant to redeem poor 
guilty rebels and make them free. That is what made 
salvation real. 

This third time the Father hears him and angels come 
and strengthen him. He says to his disciples, 'Sleep 
on now, I have the victory; sleep on, take your rest.' 
But listen: we hear the howling mob coming, the indig- 
nation of an angry devil as he pours out his wrath in an 
effort to destroy the real salvation the saints enjoy to- 
night. Will the mob succeed? We see the one com- 
ing who was at one time the treasurer of the little com- 
pany. What is he coming for? He comes as a be- 
trayer. What an awful discouragement! We see him 
bind this innocent Christ and then lead him away. Oh, 
if you can not be touched with a description of this 
awful scene, your heart is harder than stone. If the 
great love of Christ here manifested can not break your 
heart, then you are eternally lost. O God, pity the 
soul who can contemplate on this awful occasion with- 
out feeling a deep sense of appreciation. 

They led him forth as a lamb in a pack of hungry 



REALITIES OF LFE. 231 

wolves. He must be destroyed. They want his life, 
his blood. They bring him before the governor, cry- 
ing, "crucify him!" Who tries to evade the responsi- 
bility of his condemnation? Somebody must try him. 
Oh, what must have been the scene — the long-promised 
Messiah, the Shiloh of the Bible, apprehended and 
judged by sinful men? See him standing there, ready 
to pay the awful price of human redemption, to pay 
its real value. If you could take just one little taste 
of his suffering, you would appreciate what it cost to 
purchase your salvation. 

See him standing there. The mob says he must die; 
"We must have his life." What has he done? "He 
has broken our law; he must die; let his blood be upon 
us and our children." That was the most awful invi- 
tation that ever fell from the lips of man. They ar- 
vajed him in a purple robe. They placed on his brow 
the crown of thorns. In derision they smote him, say- 
ing, "Prophesy unto us." That is the suffering Christ 
endured for us, dear friends. Pilate tried to get out of 
his condemnation, but could not. Pilate loved the ap- 
plause of the world as men love the applause of the 
world today — more than they love Christ. They cry, 
"If you don't crucify him, you are not a friend of 
Csesar's." The result was Christ was ordered to be 
scourged. He was stripped to his waist, and he stood 
there with his hands bound, the soldiers taking the cruel 
scourge and lashing his back. "The chastisement of our 
peace was upon him; he was bruised for our iniquities; 
and with his stripes we are healed." 

He was condemned and led away. Some one hastily 
constructed a rude cross; and those hands that had fed 
the thousands and healed the blind eyes, and in many 
other ways blessed the suffering, were nailed to the 
cross. Oh, if you can see the reality of this love it will 
break your heart. Now they slowly, perhaps carelessly, 



232 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

suspend him between heaven and earth. Oh, what a 
sight! There is the mediator between God and man. 
There he is. God, on account of his holiness and purity, 
and on account of his divinity, never could look upon the 
face of sinful man. Man, because of his iniquity and cor- 
rupt condition, never could look upon the face of God. 
There was no affinity between them. Man could suffer but 
could not satisfy. God could satisfy, but could not 
suffer. They were separated by a cloud of sin. A dark 
cloud intervened. O man, thou art lost! But Jesus, 
being both God and man, was able to suffer and to sat- 
isfy. He reaches down with one hand and takes poor 
lost and suffering man, and with the other takes the 
hand of an offended God, and brings them together. 

That was real. What if he had refused to die for 
us? His friends were unfaithful. Peter said he would not 
forsake him but he did. At one time they all forsook him. 
We hear him cry out, "My God, my God, why hast thou 
forsaken me?" Evidently God had withdrawn his pres- 
ence and left him there as the serpent in the wilderness. 
O sinner, look on this picture. God help you to compre- 
hend its meaning. 

We see him there in agony. We hear him crying, "I 
thirst." Finally the earth trembled. The sun hid 
his face because his Maker was dying. The rocks 
break. Men's hearts began to fail; and the centurion, 
perhaps the one who had lacerated his back but a lit- 
tle while before, when he saw these things, cried out, 
"Surely this man was the Son of God," thus joining with 
others in attesting his reality. We see him in awful 
agony. Finally he cries, "It is finished," and gives up 
the ghost. At last man is redeemed; a real salvation is 
now brought to him. Glory to God. We declare that 
Christ is real, and his salvation is real. 

The devil is real, too. We believe in a real personal 
devil. Christ tells us Satan had bound a woman (Luke 



REALITIES OF LIFE. 233 

13: 16). If Satan had been only an idea, he could not 
have bound her. Peter said Satan is our adversary. 
His works prove him real. And sin, the work of 
Satan, is also a reality. 

Friends, if you are tampering with sin you are doing 
so at your peril. When you drink of the pleasure of 
sin you are doing it at the peril of your eternal life. 
You are exposing your soul to eternal suffering as a 
result of sin; and sin, as the work of the devil, is all 
real. But this is not all. 

DEATH AND THE JUDGMENT REAL. 

The Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die. 
That awful something called death is real. Every man, 
woman, and child in this place tonight must some day 
actually face the reality of death. It will be but a little 
while until death will claim you for its own. Perhaps 
tonight his grim presence in your home or in your room 
will convince you that your death is real. You are 
made seriously conscious of this fact. When a friend 
or one of your relatives die, you begin to recognize the 
reality of death. Oh, you say, it is real. Its awful 
chilly breath has been in my face; it passed so close 
to me that I am conscious of its reality. Friend, you 
must soon feel its cold embrace; and the sooner you 
realize this fact and the sooner you prepare to meet 
it, the better it will be for you in this world and in 
the world to come. 

Since all these things are real I am glad that salva- 
tion is real, too. Your deliverance from sin and suf- 
fering from the fear of death, and ultimately from death 
itself, is or can be a living reality in your soul tonight. 
Sinner, when you realize that the indignation of a right- 
eous God is upon you, you can not be happy. Your 
conscience is smiting you, and you are miserable. Now 
inasmuch as you feel that way as a sinner, if you accept 



231 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

this glorious salvation you will be just as conscious then 
that you are saved as you now are conscious that you 
are lost. I am glad we get the real evidence. 

Now because you can not see things with your nat- 
ural eyes does not always make them impossible or un- 
real. All things described in the Bible will ultimately 
prove their reality. The time is coming when you will 
acknowledge that every word which God has spoken, — ■ 
all his promises and warnings — are true. Therefore I 
plead with you to meditate on their reality. 

Oh, the reality of the judgment! The Bible says 
God will bring everything into judgment. It also de- 
clares that we shall all stand before the judgment-seat 
of Christ. Justice and truth agree in demanding the 
judgment. Perhaps you will not allow your mind to 
dwell on this fact. You put it off and evade it. I want 
to say that as surely as we are in this place of worship 
tonight, so sure we shall have to assemble before the 
tribunal bar of God together with every man upon the 
earth. All will stand and face the great Judge of heaven. 
There everything will be brought into judgment, with 
every secret thing, whether it be good or evil. 

HELL REAL. 

Hell is a reality tonight, friends. I wish I had some 
way by which I could allow you to look into the actual 
pit of hell. Yes, there is a way of looking into hell. 
God out of his mercy and pity to me does not allow me 
to view the future. He has spared me from a knowl- 
edge of the future. I do not know what tomorrow holds 
in store for me. In his mercy for me he has kept it 
from me. If I knew what would befall I might not be 
able to bear it. If God would brush aside the vale and 
allow me to view the future I could see the dark places. 
I might see the death of my dear wife, and see my lit- 
tle children in the awful jaws of death. I might see one 



REALITIES OF LIFE. 235 

draw its last breathy its little eyes sunk in its little 
head, and friends carrying it from my sight. If I could 
see into the future the death of my own companion, of 
my own friends, it would break my heart. But God 
is so good; he has shielded me from a knowledge 
of the future. He reveals it to me only as I can bear 
it. 

But there is a way I can look out into the future, into 
long eternity. There are means by which I can see 
down into the miseries of hell, and see men and women 
in pain tonight. Do you know that faith in the Bible 
makes heaven and hell real? What can we see in hell? 
There we can see all the vile characters of men from the 
time man has gone into sin; from the death of the first 
wicked men down to the present time. We can see aged 
men, gray-headed fathers and mothers, bound in chains 
of darkness, waiting with bitter expectation for the 
judgment and the awful wrath of God hanging over 
them. Through God's Bible we can see them bound 
there tonight. There is the rich man., the man who was 
one time arrayed in splendor. At one time he was 
envied and men called him noble — one time rich, now 
a pauper in torment. We can see him in hell because 
the Bible says he went there, to hell. We hear him 
say, "I am tormented in this flame; go back and tell 
my brethren not to come here; don't allow them to come 
to this place of torment." Thus is hell made true and 
real to me tonight. It is just as real if some do not 
believe it, because it is truth. 

What more do I see? I see souls of men who one 
time were noble men in this world, who expected to get 
saved some time just like you perhaps are expecting. 
I see poor souls who procrastinated until it was too 
late. Down there they are suffering in a real hell to- 
night, because they did not accept Christ. They are there 
because they neglected salvation, conscious of the real- 



286 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS 

ity of hell. Oh, can you not see this tonight ? Look at the 
Bible's description of this place. Where men plead for 
mercy, for one drop of water. Surely it is real. 

HEAVEN REAL. 

Now let me turn this telescope of truth to the other 
side. As I stand here, a little mortal creature, but 
thank God with a little faith in God's Word, I can 
look out into the Elysian fields of glory. Through the 
Bible promises I can look into heaven. I can look into 
the face of God. Brethren, friends, I see the angels. I 
see the Christ, the center of attraction for every Chris- 
tion heart. "We see Jesus." We see him tonight. Some- 
body says Christ will be just like the other men after 
the judgment; he will fall back and be as the breth- 
ren. But I can see him as the real light and life of 
heaven. I can see him there as the one who is now to 
me the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, 
the One altogether lovely. I can see the angels place a 
crown on a faithful soul, who has escaped the sins of 
this world through real salvation. I hear the songs of 
the angel's reception : "Come in." Glory be to God ! 

Friends, it becomes real to us when we look to heaven 
through the Bible. If you deny the reality of these 
things you make eternity as black as midnight. 

There are some good things we see in this world by 
faith in God's Bible. We see the church of God. It is 
a reality. Some one says, "You talk about unity, and 
we can't see it." There is one thing we must learn. 
It takes the unity of the Spirit to constitute the church 
of God. This is true in many congregations. It is 
possible for sinners to be in the unity of belief but God's 
church is composed of those who are in the unity of the 
Spirit. Let us get in the unity of the Spirit, and the 
unity of the faith will be the result. It will adjust itself. 
While I have suffered in my past life on this account, 



REALITIES OF LIFE. 237 

I now can see that the unity of the church of God is a 
glorious reality. 

Do you believe that heaven is real? Says one, "It is 
imagination." No; God bless you, it is not imagination. 
I do not have to imagine I see the glory of God, nor 
imagine that my feet shall press the golden streets; 
for the Bible is my means of sight. I do not have to 
imagine that there is a crown for me. I can see it 
now. Praise the Lord! When Moses came to years he 
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. By 
remaining loyal to Egypt he would have obtained a high 
position, perhaps the crown itself. As a son of Pha- 
raoh's daughter; and Egypt was one of the greatest 
kingdoms that ever existed. But by faith in the prom- 
ise of God Moses looked through the whole scene and 
saw the reality of God; so he quit, stepped down, and 
associated himself with the despised Hebrews, choos- 
ing rather to suffer affliction with the children of God 
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Moses 
did not fear the wrath of the king. He endured. What 
made him endure? He saw something real. He en- 
dured like every Christian endures, "as seeing him who 
is invisible." Oh, praise God forever! 

Paul and Silas were in prison. I wonder what they 
would have been saying if you had gone there about 
eight or nine o'clock? Should we have heard them say, 
"We have been trying to uplift humanity. This is a 
hard way to serve the Lord. If we don't get liberty 
soon we shall have to quit." We don't know what they 
were doing at ten o'clock; but I do know what they 
were doing at midnight. They were singing praises to 
God. Why? Because they had real salvation, the same 
kind of salvation you have if you have any at all. O 
friends, God bless you, these things are real. Come and 
get real salvation now. 



238 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

The True Standard. 

In the Auditorium, Wednesday morning, June 11, 
by H. M. Rig-grle. 

I ask you to consider what I say, and the Lord give you 
understanding in all things. I will read three texts 
as the basis of my remarks in this morning's discourse. 
"The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him 
in the last day." John 12:48. "But why dost thou 
judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught 
thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment- 
seat of Christ." Rom. 14: 10. "But with me it is a very 
small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's 
judgment * * * he that judgeth me is the Lord. There- 
fore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come." 
1 Cor. 4:3-5. These texts introduce my theme — The 
written, revealed Word of God, the only true standard 
for time and eternity, as compared with the law of con- 
science. 

Some of the thoughts I shall present in this sermon 
have been introduced in the ministers' meetings at dif- 
ferent times. I feel clear to present them to the pub- 
lic assembly. We all need the truth. What is good for 
the preachers is good for us all. I trust that you may 
all receive a benefit. 

THE LAW OF THE WORD. 

In this world today there are many standards by 
which people are judged good or bad, right or wrong. 
The creeds, teachings, and doctrines of men are held up 
as standards for people to measure to. Also there are 
standards of conscience. I am glad we have reached 
the time in God's divine plan when all the creeds of men 
are being discarded, and, in the language of one of our 
hymns, we are coming 

"Back to the blessed old Bible, 
Back to the words of our Savior." 



THE TRUE STANDARD. 2S9 

The world, today is cursed with creedism; cursed with 
human traditions, dogmas, and man-made religions — re- 
ligions of human origin, animatd by human life. The re- 
ligion of the Bible is divine. Its power and life come 
from God. 

The church of God has great reason to rejoice, that 
with us, the apostasy that has crushed and left its blight 
upon Christianity down through the ages, is past. In 
getting out from under the apostasy, we had to discard 
all the creeds and doctrines of men, and come back to 
the blessed old Bible. Every religious reformation since 
the Dark Ages, has had a part of the truth. Some spe- 
cial truth was held up as the hub around which the move- 
ment clustered. But we have now restored to us, as 
in primitive times, the whole truth. Our motto is, The 
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. There- 
fore the creeds, teachings, and doctrines of men we no 
longer recognize as the standard; nothing but the 
Bible. 

"The word I have spoken, the same shall judge you 
in the last day." This written, revealed Word of God 
is the true standard. It will be the only standard in the 
day of judgment. The traditions of men will not 
count in that great day. If we measure to the teach- 
ing of the written Word here in this world, we shall 
stand approved before God in the great day of eternity. 
God has but one standard, and by it he judges us to be 
right or wrong, saved or unsaved. It is by the Word of 
God that you and I are judged in the sight of God to- 
day. The only way to have God's approval is to live 
in perfect harmony with the whole revealed will of God. 
People may measure up to the doctrines of men, but if 
they fail to measure to the Word of God, they will be 
condemned in the judgment-day. A certain preacher re- 
cently said to me, "I have always believed that we ought 
to practise the ordinance of feet-washing, but, you see, 



240 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

our creed does not enjoin it, so our church fails to 
practise it." This is virtually setting aside the plain 
truth for tradition. In the day of judgment that man 
will not be judged by what his church practises and 
teaches, but by the Word of God. Men's teachings and 
doctrines have set aside the sacred Scriptures. This is 
an awful thought. There are many people who know 
what the Bible teaches, and the only reason why they 
fail to practise its teaching is because their creed does 
not enjoin it. Our obedience is predicated, not upon 
tradition enforced by men, but upon our obligation to 
God. This makes our Christian life of devotion a de- 
lightsome service. 

ADDITIONAL LAWS. 

Just as some take away from the Bible, others add to 
it. Some sects, like the Mormons, believe that people 
now can receive direct revelation as did the apostles, and 
add to the Word of God. This is not correct; the canon 
of Scripture closed with the writings of the apostles. 
Whatever revelations we may receive, will be but light 
upon the present Scriptures, and not additions to them. 
Any creed larger than the Bible is too large, just as 
any creed smaller than the Bible is too small. We have 
positively no right to enact any rules or regulations or 
to enjoin upon our fellow ministers and the church of 
God any past traditions or new observances not clearly 
based on Bible principles. To do so is to fall into the 
rut of creedism, and to depart from what is a funda- 
mental truth; namely, that the written Word of God is 
our only standard. Past reformations wrecked upon the 
rock of traditionalism, and we shall do well to steer 
clear of this. In the New Testament will be found the 
true standard of life and experience. To go outside of 
this is to resort to man-made rules and traditions. Tra- 
ditional law once imbibed and fully established in the 



THE TRUE STANDARD. 241 

mind and conscience, becomes as sacred to the one prac- 
tising it as divine law, and is no easy thing to shake 
off. 

In the revealed Word, God said what he meant, and 
meant all he said. In the New Testament will be 
found God's standard of repentance, justification, sanc- 
tification, and unity, and the every-day life and practise 
of a Christian — just what God requires. Even those 
who adhere to creeds admit this. They say that "every- 
thing that is essential to life and godliness will be found 
in the Word of God." I ask, then, What is the use of 
anything else? Why add to the Bible, or take from it? 
Why not take it as it is? We believe this to be true 
and right. Then, let us stick to this truth and declare 
it to the world. What we know right we all know 
alike, for the Holy Spirit guides us all into the same 
truth. Beside me here in the rostrum sits our beloved 
Brother Kilpatrick. What he and I know correctly we 
know alike. As we both drop the traditions and notions 
of men, and come to the simplicity of Bible truth, W3 
will see alike; and I will add, we do. Brother Cole 
asked the question, "When you present the church of the 
New Testament, the ideal church, can you point to a 
visible body of believers in the worM, and say, This is 
that church?" Emphatically I answer, yes. On every 
fundamental, God's ministers and church see alike. 
There is no difference nor division* It is only when we 
drift away from the clear teachings of Scripture and try 
to enforce tradition and our own ideas that questions 
arise and differences come in. Let us not spend our 
valuable time caviling over trivial externals, but s f and 
unitedly for the whole truth and present that unit to the 
world. 

TRADITIONAL STANDARDS. 

The standard is the Word of God, not what John 



242 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Wesley taught. Some say that John Wesley set up the 
standard. Just as far as John Wesley preached the 
truth, he held up the standard. Wherein he failed to 
preach the whole truth, he failed to lift up the true 
standard. It is not what some folks taught one hundred 
years ago or fifty years ago or thirty years ago that 
is to be accepted as the standard; but what the Word 
teaches. What was taught thirty years ago can be ac- 
cepted as the standard only wherein it perfectly har- 
monizes with the written Word. God bless you, the 
standard is not merely some revered teaching of the past ; 
it is the Word of God. So many folks talk about going 
back to the "old paths," meaning the teachings and prac- 
tises of the church thirty years ago. They say that must 
be the standard. But to go only thirty years back would 
be to follow in the rut of the sects about us. The Metho- 
dists say that John Wesley set the standard. We go 
beyond Wesley; we go back to Christ and the apostles, 
to the days of pure, primitive Christianity, to the in- 
spired Word of Truth. That is getting back to the true 
standard. We go back to the fountainhead. If I meas- 
ure to that truth, I shall not be afraid of the lightning- 
flash and the thunder-peal of final judgment. No; when 
the mountains quake and tremble, when this old world 
is tottering like a drunkard, when the heavens are on 
fire, when the sun withdraws her shining and the stars 
of heaven fall, when the wicked cry for rocks and 
mountains to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb, I 
expect to stand. Glory to God! I expect to be judged 
by the very same standard of revealed truth to which 
I am now measuring. 

I will now call attention to another law. Before I 
enter into a consideration of this part of the subject, 
I kindly ask you all to bear with me and not to judge 
me harshly. Consider carefully what I say, and receive 
it in the spirit in which it is delivered. I speak in the 



THE TRUE STANDARD. 243 

fear of God and trust that what is said will not be cast 
aside lightly. 

THE LAW OF THE CONSCIENCE. 

I read from 1 Cor. 10: 23, 25, 27, 29: "All things are 
lawful for me, but all things are not expedient : all things 
are lawful for me, but all things edify not." "Whatso- 
ever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no ques- 
tion for conscience sake." "If any of them that believe 
not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; what- 
soever is set before you, eat, asking no question for con- 
science sake." "Conscience, I say, not thine own, but 
of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another 
man's conscience?" In these verses is introduced what 
may properly be termed the law of conscience. The di- 
vine law revealed in the Word of God is the standard 
for the whole church. It is a universal law; it applies 
to all nations and people, irrespective of their peculiar 
and differing customs, manners, and forms of dress. 
Yes, the gospel of Jesus Christ is applicable to all the 
nations of earth. It will save the Esquimo as well as 
the Hindu or African, though these people differ widely 
in dress, forms, and customs. These external differences 
will not in the least affect the unity of the Spirit, nor 
the unity of faith as revealed in the written Word. But 
the law of conscience is not universal, it is applicable 
only to the individual. Conscience is regulated largely 
by what men believe. In proof, I call attention to 
Romans 14: 

"Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to 
doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may 
eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let 
not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and 
let not him that eateth not, j udge him that eateth : for God 
hath received him." Verses 1-3. "One man esteem- 
eth one day above another: another esteemeth every day 
alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own 



244 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it onto the 
Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he 
do'h not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, 
for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to 
the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks." Verses 
5, 6. 

Here is laid down a principle that is worthy of our 
careful study. Brethren, I feel bold in God this morn- 
ing. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and has an- 
ointed me to deliver this message. In Paul's time there 
were those who believed they could eat all things. They 
gave God thanks and ate what was set before them, 
asking no questions for conscience sake. Their con- 
sciences approved of what they did because they believed 
it to be all right. At the same time there were some in 
the church who had conscientious scruples regarding what 
they ate. These were called "weak." They ate herbs 
and abstained from meats, doing this, as they supposed, 
"to the Lord," and also gave God thanks. You see, 
the conscience in this thing was regulated by what one 
believed. The same was true with respect to the ob- 
servance of days. "One man esteemeth one day above 
another." "He regardeth the day unto the Lord." He 
acted in this way because he believed it to be right, and 
bis conscience approved of his action. Had he done 
otherwise, his conscience would have condemned him. 
At the same time his brother in the church "esteemed 
every day alike." He too was conscientious, and "to 
the Lord he did not regard it." Both these men were 
accepted of God, though they differed widely in mat- 
ters of conscience. This proves conclusively that the 
law of conscience is the law of the individual, and also 
that in conscience matters people may widely differ, and 
yet be accepted of God and stand united upon the gen- 
eral principles of truth. There is no evading this fact 
so clearly taught in these scriptures. 



THE TEUE STANDARD. %4>5 

CONSCIENCE REGULATED BY BELIEF. 

Allow me to press this point. Conscience is regulated 
by belief. Present-day proofs are many. Take the 
Saturday-keepers for an example. As soon as the sun 
sets Friday evening, they lay aside their work and with 
a feeling of reverence begin keeping Sabbath. They are 
educated to believe that this is right, and who will doubt 
that the sincere among them have the sanction of their 
conscience. To work on that day would bring them un- 
der the condemnation of their own conscience. The 
same is true of Sunday-keepers. They have been edu- 
cated to believe that Sunday is a holy Sabbath-day. 
Thus their conscience approves of their stringency in 
keeping the day. To work on that day would bring them 
condemnation. A preacher told me that he cleaned his 
stable one Sunday and that his conscience so condemned 
him that he repented in tears. At another time he sold 
a quart of milk on Sunday and had to repent bitterly 
before God. I believe the poor fellow was sincere. He 
thought he had committed an awful sin. Here is a man 
in our time who "esteemeth one day above another." 
Others of us, who are better informed regarding the 
sacredness of days, would not feel condemned in the 
least were we to perform the same work on Sunday. 

I once knew a brother who, when he was a member 
of a sect, was taught that it was wrong to eat fruit 
between meals. He told me that a few times he had 
broken over the rules, and that his conscience so con- 
demned him that he repented in tears. To us whose 
consciences are not so educated, such scruples look like 
foolishness. It confirms my thought, that conscience 
is regulated by what we believe. Listen! "I know, 
and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is noth- 
ing unclean of itself: but to him who esteemeth any- 
thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." Rom. 14: 14. 
This text is conclusive. 



246 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

JUDGE NOT. 

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, 
or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the 
sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come." 
Col. 2: 16, 17. We have no right to judge one an- 
other in matters of conscience. It was with direct refer- 
ence to this very thing that Paul said, "But why dost 
thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought 
thy brother?" "Who art thou that judgeth another man's 
servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth." 
"Let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: 
for God hath received him." "But with me it is a 
very small thing that I should be judged of you, or 
of man's judgment * * * he that judgeth me is the Lord." 
O brethren, when we make our own conscience the stand- 
ard for the whole church of God, we do wrong. When 
we judge our brethren wrongly and condemn them 
by the standard of our conscience, we violate the prin- 
ciples of divine truth. "Let us not judge one another 
any more." In external things which involve no moral 
principle and on which the Scriptures are silent, Paul) 
says, "Let no man judge you." Do you grasp the prin- 
ciple of truth contained in these texts? I pray God to 
enlighten us in these things. 

Nothing would please the devil better than to make 
a great hubbub over some trivial matter, and split the 
church of God. As a ministry and a church, we all 
occupy the same ground. In the experience of full sal- 
vation we stand on the same plane. On every Bible doc- 
trine we stand in perfect unity. On fundamentals, there 
is harmony, and peace, not division. O beloved breth- 
ren and sisters, shall we then make an issue over some 
little thing in which no moral principle is involved, some- 
thing on which the Bible is silent, something which be- 
longs to matters of conscience, and separate from each 
other? Shall we thus rend the ministrv and church in 



THE TRUE STANDARD. 247 

twain? thus do untold injury to the precious cause to 
which we have dedicated our lives and for which we 
labored so hard and sacrificed so much? We can not 
afford to do it. The Spirit of God in me is against 
that spirit of division that would rend the body of 
Christ into factions. Let this be our motto: "Endeavor- 
ing to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace/' 
"Follow after the things that make for peace." 

Brethren, let us stand united for the principles of 
truth contained in the written Word, and not cavil over 
matters of conscience. There are thousands of things 
in life that involve no moral principle, that the Bible no- 
where mentions, and that are therefore left to our own 
consciences. "If any of them that believe not bid you to 
a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set be- 
fore you, eat, asking no questions for conscience sake." 
"Why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?" 
"Why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give 
God thanks?" We must keep our conscience inside of 
the truths and the principles of the Bible. If you allow 
your conscience to become so lax that it will stretch 
beyond the Word of God, you will get into trouble. But 
many things come up in life on which the Bible does 
not speak; and the reason is, no moral principle is in- 
volved. Such things are positively matters of conscience. 
I will mention a few as examples. 

MATTERS OP CONSCIENCE. 

Building insurance. One brother says, "My con- 
science will not allow me to get my buildings insured." 
Another, who is just as spiritual, says, "I have mine 
insured, and my conscience doesn't condemn me at all." 
It would be wrong for these brethren to condemn each 
other over this matter. The Bible says nothing about 
it, so let each have his liberty of conscience in the mat- 
ter. The one must be careful not to bring his liberty of 



248 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

conscience and the other his conscientious scruple to 
meeting and try to bind them upon their brethren. "Hast 
thou faith, have it to thyself." "Happy is the man who 
condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth." 

Another says, "My conscience will not allow me to 
go to the polls and vote. I don't think it would be right 
at all." At the same time his brother in the church, who 
has as good an experience as he, and lives a holy, godly 
life, sees differently. He says: "I am a citizen of this 
country, and am subject to our government. I pray for 
governors and presidents. Governments are ordained 
of God. I have studied the questions of the day some- 
what, and they concern the welfare of my family and of 
the community. As I help support the government and 
live under it, I feel that I have a right to a voice in its 
affairs. I feel it my duty to vote. Without entering into 
the spirit of politics, I quietly go to the polls and vote 
for what I believe to be for the best interests of the 
whole people." Now, the Bible says nothing about vot- 
ing; consequently, both these brethren have a perfect 
right to do as they feel in the matter. So don't con- 
demn one another in such things. If a man doesn't want 
to vote, let him stay at home. But let him not condemn 
those who do vote. In any case, keep out of the spirit 
of politics. Keep clean in your soul. 

Sometimes a reform, like the abolishing of the cursed 
liquor traffic, comes up as an issue before the people. 
Some are so conscientious that they will take no part in 
such movements, which are for the betterment of the 
people in general, and they are ready to condemn those 
who do. I say the wrong comes in trying to bind your 
conscientious scruples upon others. "Let every man be 
fully persuaded in his own mind" in such matters. I am 
simply laying down general principles. The law of con- 
science belongs to the individual; consequently, when it 
is made the law of the church in general, it always causes 



THE TRUE STANDARD. 249 

trouble and brings division. This is true in the local 
assembly and in the church at large. 

On the subject of dress the Bible lays down some 
general principles. It enjoins "modest apparel," that 
becoming "women professing godliness," and condemns 
"costly array," and gold and pearls worn for "outward 
adornment." In none of the Gospels or the Epistles is 
a uniform pattern of dress prescribed. The reason is 
clear. The gospel must reach all nations, and these dif- 
fer greatly in their modes of dress. Compare the Orien- 
tal dress with our Western for example. What is con- 
sidered modest apparel in the Orient might be considered 
clear out of place in America. Conversely modest ap- 
parel in America might not be considered becoming in 
the Orient. This matter must be left to the individual's 
own judgment and conscience, governed by this princi- 
ple, "Do all to the glory of God." Keep clear from the 
pride of the world, and at the same time live in the free- 
dom of the Spirit. 

People have different methods of living. To illus- 
trate: Four brethren are members of the same congre- 
gation. I shall call them Brother A, Brother B, Brother 
C, and Brother D. They all have a good, clear experi- 
ence of salvation, and live straight, conscientious lives be- 
fore God. We will say that each of them spends $50 
a month the year round. 

Brother A's monthly bill is as follows: Groceries, 
$30; fresh meat, $10; clothing and notions, $6; support 
of the gospel, $4. Total, $50. 

Brother B has as large a family as Brother A, but 
Sister B is a little more economical than Sister A and 
cuts down their living-bill more closely. Brother B's 
monthly bill is as follows: Groceries, $25; fresh meat, 
$5; clothing, etc., $6; to the gospel, $4; for a needed 
piece of furniture, $10. Total, $50. 

Brother C, with as large a family as A or B, lives by 



250 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

a somewhat different method. Brother A's wife goes to 
the store and buys canned goods freely, while Brother 
C's wife buys fruit and works till eleven o'clock at night 
canning fruit for her table. Brother A's wife spends 
very little time sewing and mending, while Brother C's 
wife patches and mends, and lives more economical in 
general. Brother C's monthly bill is as follows: Gro- 
ceries, $20; meat, $5; clothing, $5; to the gospel, $5; 
payment on a piano for their growing sons and daugh- 
ters, $15. Total, $50. 

Brother D and wife are also economical in their man- 
ner of living. Whereas Brother A's wife buys her bread 
at the bakery, D's wife bakes her own. With as large a 
family as the others D's monthly bill is as follows: Gro- 
ceries, $18; meat, $4; clothing, $8; payment on a rug for 
the parlor, $10; to the gospel, $10. Total, $50. 

These four brethren, with their different methods of 
living, each spend $50 a month. Out of this amount 
Brothers A and B each give $4 to the Lord, while C 
gives $5 and D $10. I ask, Have these brethren a right 
to judge and condemn each other? To illustrate: Brother 
A comes to meeting and says to Brother B, "Did you 
know that Brother C bought a piano?" "Yes, I heard 
about it." "I'll tell you I don't have much confidence in 
him for spending the Lord's money in that way. I don't 
think it is right." But the fact is, C has spent no more 
money than A, but has spent it in a different way, and 
he gives more to the Lord's work than either A or B. 
In the same meeting Sister A says to Sister B, "I was 
over to Brother D's house the other day, and, what do 
you think? they have bought a brand new rug for their 
parlor." "Is that so?" "Yes; I'll tell you I don't have 
much confidence in their religion, spending their money 
like that, and the missionary work suffering." The fact 
is, C has spent no more during the month than A, and 
he gave $10 to the Lord's work, while A and B gave but 



THE TRUE STANDARD. 251 

$4 each. A and B spent the bulk of their money for their 
tables and stomachs, while C and D furnished their 
homes. 

I use this illustration simply to show how wrong it is 
for people to judge one another in such matters. A 
great deal of trouble has resulted in congregations, and 
people have lost confidence in each other, over just such 
things as this. I say, Shame on such inconsistency ! All 
have a right to their different modes of living, so long 
as they do not violate this Bible principle: "Be temper- 
ate in all things." "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, 
or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 

O brethren, let us quit playing baby. Let us quickly 
come to the manhood state, and be men of principle and 
truth. The gospel standard is one of liberty. Paul says, 
"Ye have been called unto liberty." The gospel is a 
"perfect law of liberty." "The truth shall make you 
free." Jesus came to "set at liberty them that are 
bruised." "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is 
liberty." Perfectly to obey every command in the written 
Word is the delight of every Christian. A truly devoted 
Christian life is one of freedom in the Spirit. But to 
try to live to somebody else's conscientious scruples will 
rob you of your God-given liberty and bring you into 
slavish bondage. God's Word positively forbids people 
to bind the law of conscience upon each other. Read 
carefully Rom. 14: 3, 4 and Col. 2:16. A preacher once 
told me that I was proud. I asked for the proof. He 
said, "Your hair is curly." I replied that my mother 
had curly hair and that mine was natural. He would 
have required me to have clippers run over my head 
close to the scalp, to remove my collar and cuffs, and 
to have no musical instrument in my home. For me to 
cater to that man's conscience would have meant any- 
thing but liberty. "Why is my liberty judged of another 
man's conscience?" 1 Cor. 10:29. Let us be men. Let 



252 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

us in the fear of God think and act for ourselves, and 
also grant our brethren this same liberty. 

Two persons sit in meeting and the one condemns 
the other over matters of conscience. God judges both 
by the standard of his Word, and accepts them both. 
Do you see the wrong in this? How applicable are the 
words of the apostle, "Let us not judge one another 
any more" ! When you begin to look at the faults and 
the mistakes of others, you become blinded to your own. 
About the time you think the whole church is drifting 
and going to ruin, you are near the brink yourself. Look 
out. Keep your own doorstep clean. Don't say like 
Peter, "What shall this man do?" but "Follow thou 
me." One rule will apply to us all: Everybody live 
with an eye single to the glory of God. If we do this, 
division will never come into the church of God. Let 
us love as brethren. Instead of being filled with sus- 
picions, let us forbear one another in love. Some of our 
faces will soon be missing. Our places will be filled 
by others. Oh! we can not afford to wrangle over ques- 
tions of no profit. Instead of saving all of the flowers 
to cast on our brethren's caskets, let us strew some in 
their pathway while they live. Let us respect each other 
and be courteous. Let us be kind and submissive. O 
beloved saints, my dear brethren, for the cause of Christ, 
for the sake of Jesus, for our own souls' sake, let us 
rebuke every spirit of division and strife, and stand for 
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 
Let us close in our ranks, and press forward, side by side, 
heart in heart, against the combined powers of sin and 
hell. Let us present a solid front against the foe. 
Mounted on our holiness steeds, let us rush forward in 
the battle, each one a giant for God, zealous in one 
common cause, carrying in every direction the message 
of full salvation from sin till the kingdoms of this 
world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord. 



OUR MISSION IN THE WORLD. 253 



Our Mission in the World. 

In the Auditorium, Wednesday afternoon, June 11, 
by J. D. Smoot. 

I wish to call your attention this afternoon to the 3rd 
chapter of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, beginning 
with the 8th verse: "Unto me, who am less than the 
least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should 
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of 
Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship 
of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world 
hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus 
Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and 
powers in heavenly places might be known by the church 
the manifold wisdom of God." The subject that we wish 
to talk on has already been discussed in your hearing, 
but it has by no means been exhausted, and neither will 
it be exhausted after I am through. 

GRASPING THE EXTENT OF OUR MISSION. 

Now perhaps some of you might think that we all 
understand very well what is the mission of the church 
in the world. I agree with you. I believe that to an ex- 
tent we understand it, but yet I say there is much more 
for us to learn respecting this subject. I must frankly 
confess this afternoon that the saints do not comprehend 
all that this mission means; neither have I myself 
grasped all that I have read about it in the Word of 
God; but I can truthfully say, I understand it better 
this afternoon than I have in all my ministerial life. 

The better we understand our mission the better will 
we understand our duty, and the more will we call upon 
God for grace to do it. To the extent that we lack un- 
derstanding to that extent we fail to discharge our duty. 
We would have done more in the past than we have done 
if we had understood our duty better. But we 



254 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

should not be discouraged because we do not 
comprehend our mission or duty, as well as we 
should like to. In fact, I know according to the 
Bible that the Twelve Jesus chose did not understand 
their mission in the beginning as well as they did later. 

We read in the 16th chapter of Mark, the 15th verse, 
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to 
every creature." That seemed to be very plain; they 
heard what he said, but after all they did not altogether 
understand what he meant. There are a great many 
things said to us today in the Word of God. We see 
what it says and we grasp at least to a degree the mean- 
ing of it, but sometimes we do not altogether comprehend 
just the extent of the meaning of the words. The Lord 
called those he commissioned to go into all the world 
to preach the gospel to every creature, but the fact is, 
according to the record we have here, it was at least a 
few years before they understood fully what he meant. 
And for proof of this assertion we read in the 10th 
chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. 

Here we find that the Apostle Peter went up on the 
top of a house in a certain city after he had preached 
through Judea and round about Jerusalem and thousands 
of souls had been added to the Lord. While he was on 
the housetop in prayer to God, he fell into a trance and 
there, the Lord, by giving him a vision, showed him 
plainly what he meant when he said, "Go ye into all the 
world and preach the gospel to every creature." It is 
a mistaken idea that when we get the Holy Ghost we 
understand all the Holy Ghost understands. We do not. 
It is said by the Lord in the 16th chapter of John, ISth 
verse, '"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, 
he will guide you into all truth." When we get the Holy 
Ghost we have a good guide into all the truth, if we will 
be led of the Spirit. 

In his own time he will ruide us into all 



OUR MISSION IN THE WORLD. 255 

the truth. He has all the attributes of the God- 
head, he understands his business, and he knows just 
when to give us more light, and when to make known to 
us our duty. Oh the necessity of being led by the Holy 
Spirit! Inasmuch as we have the Holy Spirit and are 
being led by him, we can rest assured that God's will 
and desires and God's purpose concerning us individu- 
ally and collectively will certainly be done if we will 
only follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit. 

After the Lord had shown Peter in his vision that he 
should call no man common or unclean, that the gospel 
was for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews, the Lord 
also told him to go to the household of Cornelius, and 
there the Lord proved himself, in that when the gospel 
message was being delivered to the Gentiles the Spirit 
was poured out upon them just as on the Jews at Pente- 
cost. Now this did not at first meet the approval of 
the other brethren. They heard that Peter had preached 
to the Gentiles, the uncircumcised and they called him in 
question about it; but after Peter had humbly rehearsed 
the whole matter with them and told them how won- 
derfully the Lord poured out the Holy Spirit upon the 
Gentiles as he did on the Jews, the apostles who had 
the Holy Spirit the same as Peter, said with one con- 
sent, "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted re- 
pentance unto life." 

After we have received the Holy Spirit, we do not un- 
derstand everything, but when the truth is revealed, we 
who have the Holy Spirit will consent to the truth. 
Every one will do that. Thank God for the Holy Spirit ! 
Thank God for his church who really possess the Spirit. 
Only those who have the spirit of God can be governed 
that way. It does not matter what name we go by or 
how long we profess to be saved, or how much demon- 
stration we go through or how elegant we can speak or 
anything of the kind; when we come face to face with 



256 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

the Word of God and it is demonstrated and made plain 
to us, if there is something in us that takes a stand 
against it, we may be sure that there is something wrong, 
for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and agrees with 
the Word of truth. 

OUR ESTIMATE OF OURSELVES. 

We now read again from our text: "Unto me, who 
am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given." 
I have read that scripture often and it is sweet and 
precious to my soul and every time I read it it brings 
a holy reverential fear on my heart. I never read that 
scripture but what it appeals very forcibly to my heart. 
This noble man, the apostle Paul, a man of noble birth, 
of culture and training, of noble character, brought up 
in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, with all those noble 
attainments, which but very few are privileged to enjoy, 
a man held in high esteem, as touching religion, a Phari- 
see after the strictest sect, a man who doubtless 
was never given to revelry and debauchery as many of 
us have been, was required still, with all those high 
attainments and noble birth and all his religious training 
to get the grace of God and a call to the ministry. He 
said of himself, "Unto me who am less than the least of 
all saints is this grace given." I suppose many people 
would have said all through their writings, "Unto me, 
who am the greatest of all the apostles, because I was 
so noble." But on the contrary, he said, "Unto me who 
am less than the least of all sain's is this grace given"; 
not simply the least of the apostles, but less than the least 
of all saints. He said more than that: the reason why this 
grace was given was, "that I should preach among the 
Gentiles." 

The apostle Paul was distributing to the Gentiles 
something that was given him, something that was com- 
municated to him; something that was deposited in him 



OUR MISSION IN THE WORLD. 257 

as an earthen vessel. It was not what he got at the 
feet of Gamaliel that he delivered to the Gentiles, but 
what he got from the God of heaven. He said, "Rut 
when it pleased God, who separated me from my moth- 
er's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his 
Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; 
immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." Gal. 
1 : 15, 16. Brethren, I surely believe if God himself does 
not impart something to us, we can not give it to the 
world. We are not put into the ministry merely to preach 
about Christ, but we are sent into the world to preach 
Christ, and if we preach Christ we must have him 
within. Before God, we must really have him within. 

In the 7th verse the apostle says, "Whereof I was 
made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God 
given unto me by the effectual working of his power." 
It was by the effectual working of the Lord's power. I 
often think that if the Lord were working as effectually 
in us to make ministers of us, as some of us are working 
to make ministers of ourselves, it would not be long 
before we would be ministers. The Lord must work in 
us. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will 
and to do of his good pleasure." 

The same apostle said in 2 Cor. 4 : 5-7 : "For we 
preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and 
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who 
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath 
shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge 
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we 
have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency 
of the power may be of God, and not of us." Now 
brethren, not only is this applicable to the ministry, but 
to each saint. God is expecting us to distribute this 
gospel to the sin-benighted world. The gospel of salva- 
vation is something that the Lord has committed to the 
church; not merely to the ministry, but to the church 



258 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

as a whole. The ministers may preach it just as pure as 
heaven itself, but except there be representatives of it, 
or in other words, except there be followers or saints 
that will adorn this doctrine of Jesus Christ with a holy 
life, our preaching after all will be in vain. Indeed it 
will. It is often said that the world is suffering for the 
pure gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, brethren, 
the way I feel within my soul is this way: That if I 
had to give up either the preaching or the living of sal- 
vation, I would rather give up the preaching and live 
it, because I see the world is in darkness and blind- 
ness and it is longing to see the gospel demonstrated in a 
holy life. In other words, if, after the gospel is 
preached in its purity, it is not lived as it is preached, 
it tends to more unbelief and skepticism than if never 
preached. Many people have really been driven into 
infidelity because those who preached the gospel to 
them failed to live what they preached. But thank God 
when our words are not accepted, although they are 
spoken in the Holy Spirit's unction, approved by the 
Word of God, when our message fails to have its ef- 
fect as we speak it from the pulpit, some one that is not 
a preacher may through his life convince the people 
of the reality of salvation. 

THE GOSPEL FOR ALL MEN. 

The apostle says in the 9th verse, "And to make all 
men see." This gospel that we have is not merely for 
our personal benefit but also for the benefit of others. 
There is no race, tongue, or nation of people on this 
earth that have a monopoly on salvation. It belongs to 
everybody. The Lord provided for every nation and 
every creature to have it. In the beginning, you remem- 
ber, the Jews had it first, but the Lord commanded them 
to preach it to every creature. But none can get this 
gospel to the world but those who have its experience. 



OUR MISSION IN THE WORLD. 259 

The people that have not got the truth can not give it 
out; so the very fact that we have it, obligates us to 
give it to every nation, to every creature. 

Should some rich man deposit a very large sum of 
money in a bank and make us administrators, charging 
that it be equally distributed to every creature, whether 
rich or poor, black or white, or whatever race he might 
represent, and should we find ourselves being partial in 
the distribution, distributing to a certain class of peo- 
ple, perhaps of our race and nationality, to the neglect 
of others, we certainly would have to give an account of 
the way we dealt. So it is with the gospel that is com- 
mitted to our trust. If we fail to distribute this gos- 
pel to the world as God has commanded us in his Word, 
we will have to give an account of it in the day of judg- 
ment. * * * 

The thing we are to distribute to the world is some- 
thing that has been hid in God from the foundation of 
the world. We are not merely dealing with temporal 
things, with material things; we are not dealing merely 
in man-made theories and philosophies of human origin, 
but the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It has been 
hid in God; not in the material universe somewhere, not 
up among the stars or somewhere beneath the earth; it 
was hid in God. That is why Paul said in 1 Cor. 2:9: 
"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered 
into the heart of man, the things which God hath pre- 
pared for them that love him. But God hath revealed 
them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all 
things, yea, the deep things of God." 

"To make all men see." It does not matter how rich 
or how poor or what their circumstances or conditions 
may be, we are obligated to give them the gospel. You 
know sometimes there is a tendency among us, because 
of men's station, because of their wealth and intellect- 
uality, and the position and the rank which they occupy 



260 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

in the world, to withhold from them the truth of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Doubtless it has been your experi- 
ence in times past that in the presence of great men 
the enemy would have you somewhat withhold the mes- 
sage; I do not mean preaching from the pulpit, but in 
a practical way, a general way. There are some people 
that are actually ashamed to own and profess salvation 
before such people. Such things ought not so to be. We 
ought to let the glorious light of the Lord and Savior 
Jesus Christ shine bright, even in high places. There 
is nothing in the gospel that we need to be ashamed of. 
It is the most glorious thing that ever we heard of. It 
is the most precious thing that heaven affords to fallen 
humanity. Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel 
of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation." 
There is nothing in it for us to be ashamed of. Point 
people to the cross of Jesus Christ who died to save them. 
Tell them there is power and effacacy in the blood to 
cleanse from all sin. 

A MISSION FOR EACH SAINT. 

It is not only the ministry that is expected to be faith- 
ful along this line, but the entire body of God's people. 
Whether in the shop, in the kitchen, in the laundry, or 
wherever we are, the Lord expec's us to reflect the light 
of his glorious gospel in our words and in our deeds. 
Well can I remember when the Lord Jesus first saved 
me from sin. I had been a very wicked man and was 
working among wicked men, but when the Lord saved my 
soul and subsequently filled me with the Holy Spirit, 
it was a pleasure to me on the street corner and in the 
mill where I worked to talk not only to the common la- 
borer but to the superintendent and the foreman and to 
everybody I met. When we would get through working, 
we would all go on the large sand pile and take a little 
rest, and there I would tell how the Lord had saved me 



OUR MISSION IN THE WORLD. 261 

and how wonderfully he could keep. As I would talk 
about my new religion, as they called it, and what the 
wonderful love of God did for me, tears would stream 
out of their eyes. I would read my little Bible at my 
leisure. They stole it from me but I got me another. 
It was a pleasure to me to tell them about the wonder- 
ful things of God. I did not know I was preaching. 
Sometimes I would start home for my meals when I 
would meet someone I knew. I would begin to tell of 
the love of God and stand right there until the whistle 
blew for work again. This was a pleasure to me, and, 
brethren, if we are filled with the Spirit of God today, 
our very souls will be yearning to see people born into 
the kingdom of God. It will not be a question of who 
it is, or how poor he is, or of what nationality he is, 
but it will be a question of communicating that glorious 
light of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes indeed. And the 
love of God in our hearts too will cause us to speak to 
people uncompromisingly, unflinchingly, yet in love. 

O thank God for the glorious mission that we have 
in the world ! It is a glorious privilege, a high honor. It 
is an honor, I say, that the Lord has conferred upon us 
that we should be workers together with him. As the 
apostle Paul expressed it in 2 Cor. 5:18 'God hath 
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath 
given to us the ministry of reconciliation/ The Lord 
Jesus was here in the world, once and men rejected him 
and treated him in a way that was not good, yet he was 
faithful. God was in him reconciling the world unto 
himself. But the time came when he gave up his mis- 
sion. He died on the cross, but he had committed the 
word of reconciliation to us. May God help us to feel 
the responsibility resting upon us to carry the gospel to 
all people. "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though 
God did beseech you by us : we pray you in Christ's stead, 
be ye reconciled to God." 



262 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

This afternoon I feel the responsibility of our great 
mission as never before. There was a time, I must 
humbly confess, since my conversion when my zeal slack- 
ened. The Lord had been working through me, though 
I did not realize I was called to the ministry; he knew 
I was a preacher before I knew it myself. I felt un- 
worthy of such a mission, but the Spirit of God was 
prompting me to tell people to get right with God. I 
began to seek the Lord about this matter and he made 
it clear to me that he would really have me preach the 
gospel. I went on in a humble way, and the Lord blessed 
me, but then in the course of time some of that zeal and 
anointing and fervency I had in the beginning wore 
away. Do you know why? I began to lis 
ten to suggestions from this one and that one. 
Instead of being open-hearted and broad-hearted 
as I had been, instead of staying humble as I 
should have, and instead of listening to the voice of God 
as I had, I listened too much to some of my friends 
and soon I found myself getting spiritually lean. When 
I decided within my soul, "Lord God, by thy help, 
I will do all that I can do in a God-fearing way to help 
fallen humanity," and prayed God to help me and to 
forgive my mistake, he again poured out his Spirit upon 
my soul. Yes, God help us to feel the burden of this 
lost world. 

COOPERATION AND FERVENCY. 

Brethren and sisters, regardless of nationality or race, 
God wants our hearts knit together in love. I know 
whereof I speak. God wants us to come closer together, 
to have more sympathy and respect and love for one 
another, and to concentrate our efforts for the salvation 
of a lost world. Doubtless some of us are doing all 
we can by the help of God, but at the same time there is 
a lack of cooperation. Just to the extent that the grace 



OUR MISSION IN THE WORLD. 26S 

of God leaks out of our souls, will we drift into formality, 
the burden of other souls will leave our hearts, and we 
will get to the place where we have less respect one for 
the other. Let us be very careful that we do not throw 
a damper on one another or do anything that will cast 
a burden upon another. When these things come in, 
they impede our progress. God help us for Jesus' sake. 
If we are not very careful, we will lose that fervency of 
spirit for the salvation of others. 

AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE. 

I shall never forget the time when I first met the 
saints of God in the city of Chicago a few years ago. 
The Lord had saved me and sanctified me, but I was out 
in the sectarian world. My wife and I seemed to be 
roaming about, and everywhere we went there seemed 
to be nothing that blended with the Holy Spirit that we 
possessed. The very moment we entered the saints' place 
of worship, there seemed to be such a halo of glory and 
such a holy atmosphere in the room. I felt at home 
right then and there ; I did not feel that I was a stranger. 
I had been assistant pastor of a Free Will Baptist 
church in Chicago, but I have never been back there 
since. My soul was so abundantly satisfied. There prob- 
ably was not one in that entire hall that could detect 
from the spirit that I manifested or from my 
ideas, anything that was different from one of them. 
The Word of God itself had cleaned me up and I was 
all right to fit in. I tell you, God's Word and God's 
salvation will clean a man or woman from the rubbish 
of sin and take away isms and everything else that is 
unlike God. Bible salvation spoils people for sectarianism. 
I am glad I met with the people of God when I did, 
and from that time to this I have never felt like look- 
ing for anything else. I am with the church of God to 
live and to die. I ask an earnest interest in your prayers 



264 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

that God in his love and mercy may ever keep his hand 
upon my heart, and that wherever I labor, I may spend 
and be spent for the cause of God, not only locally but 
universally. God bless you all. 



THE FATHERHOOD OE GOD. 265 



The Fatherhood of God. 

In the Auditorium, "Wednesday evening, June 11, 
by J. E. Forrest. 

My subj ect for tonight is for the Universal Fatherhood 
of God, and I desire that God will make this message 
a blessing to souls. God has certainly proved that he is 
the Father of all the nations of the world. 

I will read first Isa. 9:6: "For unto us a child is 
born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall 
be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be called 
Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlast- 
ing Father, The Prince of Peace/' The next passage I 
will read is found in John 14:8-9: "Philip saith unto 
him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with 
you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that 
hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest 
thou then, Show us the Father?" 

GOD WOULD RECEIVE ALL MEN. 

God is now the universal Father, because of the fact 
that he has certain provisions by which he would re- 
ceive all men into his family through Jesus Christ. We 
have the passage in Matt. 11:28-30: "Come unto me, 
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; 
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest 
unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden 
is light." This invitation is a universal one. Jesus 
Christ, while he was on earth, invited everybody to 
come and we certainly do not believe that it was God's 
purpose to save only a few, and that those few were 
foreordained by the God of heaven before the founda- 
tion of the world to be saved irrespective of their own 



266 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

feelings or own desires or wills; but that the invitation 
is world-wide: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and 
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." God is de- 
sirous to see everybody saved. 

In the next passage, Eph. 2: 12-13 we read, "At that 
time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the 
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the cove- 
nants of promise, having no hope, and without God 
in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who some- 
times [or aforetime] were far off are made nigh by the 
blood of Christ." What a wonderful consolation to 
those who believe ! and what an encouraging thought it is 
or ought to be to every wayfaring hungry, inquiring soul 
in the world, that Jesus has invited every one to come, 
and all may come and be the children of God through 
him ! The distance is not so great but what the wan- 
derer may get home to Father's house. 

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth 
I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in 
every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteous- 
ness, is accepted with him." Acts 10:34-35. Thank 
God for such a promise as this. It does not matter 
with God whether a man is white or black, rich or poor. 
With God there is no respect of persons. I thank God 
tonight that he has made a way so that whosoever will, 
may freely come. 

EFFECT OF THE NEW BIRTH. 

Another witness proclaiming the Fatherhood of God 
is the operation of the Spirit in the new birth. "But 
as many as received him, to them gave he power to 
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on 
his name." John 1:12. Here we can not read into 
the text "For as many as he willed, he ordained"; but 
we do read that "as many as received him, to them he 
gave the power to become the sons of God." Then, if 



THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD. 267 

we are willing to receive Christ, we can be born of God 
and become his sons through this experience. 

1 John 3:9 is another passage I will read: "Who- 
soever is born of God doth not commit sin ; for his 
seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is 
born of God." Jesus has invited whosoever will to 
come. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy- 
laden, and I will give you rest." We find that as many 
as received him, those he gave power to become the sons 
of God. "Whosoever is born of God does not commit 
sin." These show that God becomes the true Father 
of them that believe and that receive him. 

Our spiritual relationship with the Father forbids 
our sinning against him. "I can not sin" does not 
mean that it is a physical impossibility to sin. We 
might still possess the physical ability to do many acts 
of lawlessness, but there is a disposition within us that 
forbids all unrighteousness. We have gone into an 
agreement with God, that we will keep his covenant 
and love him; and we do love him and respect his law. 
There is no disposition within us to commit sin, and 
we have the inspired statement, "Whosoever is born 
of God can not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in 
him and he can not sin, because he is born of God." 
He can not sin. To illustrate. Some one may say, 
Brother Forrest, come and go to town with me. I say, 
No, I can not go. By this I do not mean it to be im- 
possible because of physical inability, but that my duties 
or obligations are of such a nature that I can not go. 
We are born of God and the Word of God is in us, 
therefore we can not sin. We are under obligation to 
serve the Lord, because we are born of him. In the 
Psalms we read something like this: "Thy word, O 
Lord, have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin 
against thee." I wonder how many of us have it set- 
tled this way. Jesus spoke a parable about a sower 



268 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

going forth to sow and that some seed fell by the way- 
side, and he said in his explanation of the parable that 
the seed which fell by the wayside and was picked up 
by fowls are those which hear the Word of God, but 
the devil catches it away, lest they believe and be saved. 
We have that class of people in the world today. God 
wants us to let the word of God into our hearts and hide 
it. If you get it hid away in your heart, you will not 
sin against the Lord. 

GOD IMPARTS HIS NATURE. 

God proves his Fatherhood by imparting to us his 
divine nature. The Lord has done more than adopting 
us into his family and forgiving our sins. Thank God ! 
in the operation of the Spirit through the new birth, we 
get a salvation that imparts to us his divine nature. 
"According as his divine power hath given unto us 
all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through 
the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and 
virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and 
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers 
of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that 
is in the world through lust." 2 Pet. 2:3, 4. We might 
become the heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and through the experience that he works 
in our hearts by the new birth, we partake of the divine 
nature. Is it not wonderful? The Lord so loved the 
world that he has shed his own blood, that we might 
have everlasting life, and this life is the impartation 
of God's nature to us in this present world. 

The next passage is in Heb. 2:11, "For both he that 
sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: 
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them breth- 
ren." Praise the Lord ! The Lord is not ashamed of 
us when we get into this full salvation. Why? Be- 
cause we are sanctified and have his nature, his charac- 



THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD. 269 

ter, his life. "For both he that sanctifieth [that is, the 
Lord], and they that are sanctified [his disciples], are 
all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to ac- 
knowledge them as his brethren." Why? Because they 
are like him; because they have his nature within them; 
the fallen nature was taken away ; they are sanctified. Be- 
cause they have their Father's name -written upon their 
foreheads; and have the little white stone of secret and 
eternal friendship. There is one translation which reads, 
"He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified, are 
all of one father." Another reads, "They are all of one 
nature." All those who are of God have his nature; 
they are of one God; he is their Father. 

In natural birth children take upon them the nature 
of their parents, and so in the spiritual birth, in the 
kingdom of God; those who are born of God take upon 
themselves his nature. In 1 John 3 : 8 we read that 
the devil's children are sinners and the Lord's children 
are not sinners : that this is the difference between them. 
How could the devil's children be anything else but sin- 
ners when the devil, their father, is a sinner. He was 
a sinner from the beginning, says the Word of God, and 
how could his children be free when he himself 
is in bondage to sin ? An impossibility, of course. How 
can the Lord's people be under bondage to sin while 
the Father, who gives them the new birth, is free? 
Would not that be inconsistent to teach that the children 
of God are sinners and God their Father is free? Is 
not the president of this nation a free man, and because 
he is free is not his government free? In a kingdom 
whose king is free and independent from other na- 
tions, the subjects of that kingdom are free also. Is 
it not so? Then it is so in the kingdom of God. God's 
kingdom is a free kingdom. Christ is the king and since 
he is free from the bondage of sin and the corruption 
of this world, his subjects are free also. 



270 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

UNITES ALL INTO ONE FAMILY. 

The Fatherhood of God is evidenced by his uniting 
all into one family. "For this cause I bow my knees 
unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the 
whole family in heaven and earth is named." Eph. 
3: 14, 15. We want our children to stay in the family, 
not to be divided, some of them in one place, and some 
in another. We want all the children kept together. 
The Lord God has proved to us the fact that he is 
our Father in this respect, because he has arranged that 
we all abide in one family on earth and in heaven. "For 
this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and 
earth is named." They tell us we are going to be one 
family in heaven but have to be divided down here. 
God does not wnat us separated here, some of the chil- 
dren in one household and some of them in another, but 
he wants them all in one family. 

A short time ago, while in Southern Illinois holding 
a meeting, a sister presented to me a tract which gave 
the experience of a man that had taken sick, I think in 
Cairo or some place nearby, and had died; and after 
a few hours he revived and lived a short time before 
going to eternity. The man that had died was a mem- 
ber of a certain denomination. After his return he 
related his experience while in the other world, and 
the friends and loved ones around his bedside asked 
him questions. Among the questions that were asked 
him was this: "Are there any Methodists or Baptists 
there?" The question in substance was, Were there any 
divisions in heaven? He said, "No, there are no Metho- 
dists there." There are no Methodists and Baptists 
there. He did not mean that there was no one in heaven 
who had been at one time; but he saw that there was no 
division in heaven. 

It can be this way in this world today. Yes, sir. 



THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD. 271 

Oh, says one, where is your proof? Here it is: When 
Jesus was asked to teach his disciples to pray he said 
to them, "Pray after this manner: Our Father, which 
art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom 
come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." 
Praise the Lord! He wanted his disciples to pray that 
his will be done in earth as in heaven, and if we will 
pray this way, and strive to answer our own prayers 
there will be no divisions, but there will be one family, 
not only in heaven but in the earth. God loves his chil- 
dren impartially, and he wants them to be one. 

I remember reading that the Lord, in teaching his 
disciples, after telling them he would give them an- 
other comforter, said, "I will not leave you comfort- 
less: I will come to you." Did you ever read that pass- 
age? Beloved, he meant every word he said. "I will 
not leave you comfortless," reads in the margin. "I 
will not leave you orphans." Jesus did not mean to 
leave his disciples in the world like orphans. When par- 
ents die, children become orphans, and very often they 
get scattered into different families because they are 
orphans and have no means to keep them together in 
one family. God has provided for our keeping together 
by the gift of the Holy Ghost. "I will not leave you 
comfortless," like orphans, because I want you to stick 
together. The Holy Spirit will teach you and live with 
you, and abide with you so that you will not be scat- 
tered and divided up in the religious world. One of 
the important facts connected with the coming and abid- 
ing of the Holy Ghost is the keeping of the Father's chil- 
dren in one family. We find in the apostolic church, 
that instead of getting divided up among themselves 
they were actually together in one body and loved each 
other because the Holy Ghost was presiding pastor 
over them. That was a part of his office work: to keep 
the children from getting scattered. 



272 . CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

THE DIVINE LAW OF DISCIPLINE. 

Again, we see the Fatherhood of God by the law 
of discipline and subjection. We turn to Heb. 12:9: 
"Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which 
corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we 
not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spir- 
its, and live?" God loves us and he has so arranged 
the plan of salvation, and he has come in such close 
relationship to us through the new birth, that he has 
provided a means for our discipline that we might be 
in subjection to him and live. Do we not correct our 
children when they become unruly and show disposi- 
tions of disobedience? Do we not correct and admon- 
ish them and sometimes apply the chastening rod to 
them? Do we not use every means possible that we 
may keep them under subjection and obedience and at 
the same time perpetuate in them the law of esteem and 
reverence they should have for us? Surely we do. Why 
do we do it? Because we love them and have in mind 
their eternal welfare. God loves us this same way. He 
is our Father and has deep interest in our spiritual well- 
being. He provided not only a means of saving us, but 
a plan for keeping us saved by instructing us, and cor- 
recting us by discipline, that we may be in subjection 
to him in this present world. Ought we not to love 
the Father when he sends forth his Word and admon- 
ishes us, whether it be for a sin or for a mistake, and 
gets us back into the right way when wfc have erred or 
gone astray? Ought we not to reverence and honor and 
obey him forever? O will you not tonight consider that 
God is your Father, that he loves you with an ever- 
lasting love, and that through Jesus Christ he has de- 
signed to become your everlasting Father? 

There are many ways in which- our Father corrects 
us — sometimes through sickness. David said, "Before 
I was afflicted I went astray." How often it has been 



THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD. 273 

so with us ! If it had not been for sickness or afflictions 
or some adversity, we might not have understood the 
loving hand of God and his fatherhood, and we would 
have gone astray and been lost. God help us to realize 
tonight that he sometimes sends his chastening rod to 
correct us for our own good. If persecutions are neces- 
sary to keep us humble or to keep us spiritual by caus- 
ing us to lean upon him, let us not rebel against his law, 
but let us be subject to him, that we may live with him 
forever. 

There are other reasons for the chastening rod. The 
Lord tells us that "his Word is g'ven that the man of 
God should be perfect, through! j furnished unto all 
good works." "All scripture is given by inspiration of 
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor- 
rection, for instruction in righteousness: that the man 
of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all 
good works." The word instruction is derived from the 
same word in the Greek as nurture is in Ephesians 6; 
and the word chasten in Hebrews 12 is from the same 
word in the original; therefore, to instruct, chastise, 
and to correct, mean the same thing. We receive nur- 
ture, instruction, and chastisement, in order that we 
might grow up in the Lord to be his true sons. 

god's care for his people. 

The Fatherhood of God is revealed to us by the fact 
that he supplies all of the needs of his people. In Phil. 
4: 19 I read: "But my God shall supply all your need 
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.** The 
apostle Paul in Rom. 8 : 82 says, "He that spared not 
his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall 
he not with him also freely give us all things?" O be- 
loved, all the good things that the Father hath bestowed 
upon us come through Jesus Christ. He gives us every- 
thing we need, since he gave the greatest gift. He did 



274 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

not withhold even his Son. He gives us everything we 
need in this world. We belong to him. We have his 
nature. We have come unto him, and submitted the 
keeping of our souls to him. We have the promise that 
the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us. Have you 
learned this glorious secret? Have you learned to trust 
in God, that he loves you as a Father, and that he will 
supply all your need? Without worry and fret and 
unrest, are you simply letting God supply your needs? 
It is good to know that God is our Father and that he 
pities us like as a father pitieth his children. The Lord 
said: "Be not anxious for the morrow, for the morrow 
will take care of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the 
evil thereof." We are not to be over-anxious about the 
things of tomorrow, because God will take care of us 
and all the evils which assail us. 

PROVISION OF A HEAVENLY HOME. 

Lastly, the Fatherhood of God is shown in giving us 
a home in heaven. This is, of course, the best thought, 
because there is more in it, perhaps. The Lord of 
heaven has proved to us that he is our Father in the 
fact that he has promised us, and has provided for us 
a home in glory. I read in St. John 14: 1-3: "Let not 
your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also 
in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it 
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a 
pUce for you. And if I go and prepare a place for 
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; 
that where I am, there ye may be also." God wants 
you in heaven, and he wills that you should not perish 
but that you should heed the glorious invitation to come 
unto him and he will give you rest. This is a wondrous 
thought, that the Son of God has ascended up on high, 
to prepare a place for us, and that we have the privi- 
lege of serving him in this world. We are his chil- 



THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD. 275 

dren, and he has designed that we should be his through- 
out all eternity. 

In salvation God has made provision for receiving us. 
We can not get to heaven in our sins. We will be unfit 
for the society of heaven unless we become like him in 
our nature: unless we are converted and transformed, 
renewed in our hearts and spirits, and filled with his 
divine love. Imagine the awful contrast between a de- 
voted saint and a rebellious sinner. A poor creature 
in this world sinning against Christ, against God 
against the Holy Spirit, against his people, and the 
gentle wooings of the Holy Spirit — what kind of a 
place would heaven be to him? Is it not a fact that 
sinners are more or less miserable among the congre- 
gation of the righteous, and is it not a fact then that 
they are under condemnation, pressure, and guilt, and 
great discontent? Sinners are not happy among the 
righteous in this world. The more spiritual a congre- 
gation is; the more fervent in Spirit, and the more of 
the love of God a congregation, or a man or a woman 
has, the more unrestful and discontented becomes the 
sinner who is compelled to be with them under the 
judgments of eternal truth. If this is true on earth, 
how much more will it be true in heaven? It will be 
necessary to become converted and to be like God in 
this world or you can never be able to enjoy his so- 
ciety in heaven. 

The apostle says, "Ye are come unto Mt. Sion, and 
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusa- 
lem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the 
general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are 
written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to 
the spirits of just men made perfect." We have come — 
even in this present world — to an innumerable company 
of angels. Our citizenship is in heaven and we know 
that if Jesus should come we will be like him, because 



276 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

"as he is, so are we in this world." Halleluiah! And 
if you desire to go to heaven and dwell with the angels 
and the blood-washed throng there, you will have to get 
saved in this world. Get rid of your sins, your con- 
demnation; get rid of your wretchedness, your misery; 
and get into the church of the living God where all is 
peace and satisfaction to the soul. In this regenerated 
state, you may have God's nature within, you love his 
people, enjoy their society, the presence of the Holy 
Ghost. 

God stir your hearts to see that he loves you, and if 
you do not get saved, he will be grieved at heart. When 
he saw the wickedness of the world, it grieved the Lord, 
and he repented that he made man. If it grieved him 
then, would it not grieve him to have to banish you 
from his presence into the awful regions of eternal 
night? But unless you repent and turn to God, though 
it may grieve him, because of your impenitent heart and 
unholy condition, he must say, "Depart into everlast- 
ing fire prepared for the devil and his angels. We must 
become the sons of God here, or else remain the chil- 
dren of the wicked one and take our punishment in 
eternal anguish and woe. 



INCREASING THE MINISTERIAL FORCE. 277 



Increasing the Ministerial Force. 

Address to Ministers in Chapel, Thursday morning-, June 12, 
by Geo. L. Cole. 

We have all been intensely interested in getting sin- 
ners saved, believers sanctified, the sick healed, getting 
individuals into the light who have been blinded to the 
truth of the one body, getting those confused by sec- 
tarian division to discern the body of Christ — we have 
labored and worked to that end. We have been anxious 
to see those possessed of evil spirits delivered. We 
have all been interested along that line; but to see the 
young men and young women and some of the old men 
and old women gifted with spiritual gifts and fitted up 
for the service of the Lord, we have not in some in- 
stances seen where our part came in to help. I believe 
there is a part for me and for you in this as well as any- 
where else along the line. You say, "Does not the 
Lord call the ministry and qualify them?" He saves 
souls, too. He convicts sinners. He saves them and 
heals the sick, but he wants your service to help bring 
that about. Have you realized the need? 

"He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evan- 
gelists, some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting 
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edi- 
fying of the body of Christ." To prepare people for 
service. In this we have a part in a practical way. 
There are many ways in which we can give a little en- 
couragement and help bring about the desired end. 
Every one of us who is in close touch with the work 
are aware of the fact that we are too few preachers and 
workers. We thank God that we are quite numerous 
in the house here. I wish we were so numerous all over 
the world. But when we get scattered out we are pretty 
thin. 



278 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Workers are in demand for all the different places in 
the body; there is a demand for every efficient laborer 
in every department and office of the church. In fact, 
the manner and method of our work has been largely 
toward the creating of such demand and perhaps not 
enough toward supplying the demands we have made. 
Our efforts can be concentrated in a way that will help 
the supply. Then we will be accomplishing more for 
the progress of the work. Probably you have not taken 
this into consideration from a mathematical viewpoint. 
If our labors create a demand for one hundred work- 
ers and our process of labor and effort will supply only 
ten, ninety per cent of our work in creating a demand 
is wasted. If we can supply only ten per cent of what 
we create, our demand for all our efforts has gone to 
waste, except the ten per cent we have supplied. There- 
fore, the suppty of the work must be looked into as well 
as that part which creates the demand. 

Our work has contributed so largely to the creating 
of demand and so sparingly toward creating that sup- 
ply, that the work has suffered, and the suffering of 
the work means the suffering of souls. Souls have suf- 
fered for want of care and want of proper food. God's 
sheep need food. How can we expect individuals to 
grow up to usefulness in the Lord's work when they 
have not been properly nourished? We can not expect 
it. But where the sheep are properly fed, they not 
only furnished some milk for the shepherd that fed 
them, but God bless our souls, workers are raised up 
and continue to be raised up for the Lord. Therefore 
it is necessary that we give more attention to pastoring 
the congregations. If only a little handful of us take 
an increased interest in that work and the rest forget 
that they have any part in it the results will not be as 
they should be. 

A number of years ago, our ministerial force in some 



INCREASING THE MINISTERIAL FORCE. 279 

sections was increasing much more rapidly than now. 
The reason for this rapid increase was that very little, 
if any, restraint or restriction of qualification was laid 
upon prospective workers and ministers. The idea was 
quite prevalent that anybody and everybody might be- 
come a worker, that anybody and everybody might 
get a call from God for gospel work. It was wonder- 
ful how rapidly the number of ministers increased; but 
of course without taking into consideration the due 
preparation and qualification necessary, a great many 
people ran ahead of themselves. They went before they 
were qualified. They got the zeal and inspiration all 
right, but what they needed was a little more prepara- 
tion. Some made mistakes and blunders which the older 
ministers had to patch up. In patching up the great 
number of these mistakes and blunders, the old preach- 
ers became alarmed, and consequently began to expect 
better qualifications of young workers. In this there 
was danger of raising the standard too high, and some 
of the young workers were discouraged. In seeking to 
correct one evil, we must be careful not to permit an- 
other. Ministers and gospel workers must be duly 
qualified, yet they must also be encouraged, even if they 
do make some blunders. 

Some one may ask, When is the best time to begin 
encouraging young people for the gospel work? I think 
of what the old grandmother said concerning the proper 
time to begin training children. A number of ladies 
were debating on the proper time to begin, some think- 
ing at six months, and others at different ages up to 
ten years. When they called on the old grandmother, 
she said, "Children, none of you are right. Twenty 
years before they are born is the time to begin to train 
them." When should we begin to train gospel workers? 
Twenty years before they are born into the kingdom. 
Get such a love for the work of the Lord in your own 



280 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

heart that the principle of love and service will be in 
your spiritual children. My father wanted to preach; 
he always had an ambition to be a preacher; but the 
Lord never made a preacher out of him. But out of 
his family the Lord made three, and would have made 
several others if they had yielded themselves to him. 

If God's people had greater inspiration, a higher con- 
ception of the ministry, and if they kept it before their 
minds, that the highest and noblest calling in life is the 
ministry of this blessed truth, many of the children who 
now go into secular work would be ministers of the gos- 
pel. If we get the right conception we will all work 
together, and as a consequence an interest can be awak- 
ened among the people of God and we can have an 
abundance of ministers and gospel workers. Some 
may say, "There are more now than can be fed 
and clothed, and we must be careful lest we get too 
many." You stingy preachers! God can support 
ten thousand times as many as there are. God 
owns the world and the fulness thereof. Some may say, 
"Pray God to hold up on this thing and not make quite 
so many preachers so we can have more to eat and wear, 
and have a better time." Shame on you! We ought to 
be willing to deny ourselves and to sacrifice so we can 
help in the raising up of others. Moses said, "I would 
to God all his people were prophets." May God pity 
our souls if we are afraid to ask God to call, qualify, 
and send forth more laborers. God will supply the 
needs. We are not going to starve out because God 
calls a large number into the ministry. The more there 
are and the better qualified they are the better we will 
prosper. 

Children should be taught from their earliest years 
to look upon the ministry as a sacred calling, and to 
consider it as a desirable vocation for them in life. 
You have heard of the story of the boy that wanted to 



INCREASING THE MINISTERIAL FORCE. 281 

go to sea. The pastor called on the mother who asked 
his help to turn the mind of her child. But there were 
pictures and charts of the high seas and of great boats 
on the walls. Letters were coming home from the boys 
that were at sea. The minister said, "If you don't want 
your boy to go to sea, take down all your advertise- 
ments from the wall. Don't let your son hear or read 
a single letter from any of the brothers at sea. Get 
his mind on other things and he will go in another 
course/' If we want people attracted to the ministry, 
let us keep the right pictures on our walls. Let us get 
the minds of our hearers on things pertaining to the 
ministry. It can be done if they are trained from in- 
fancy up; and then with the proper instructions, with 
spiritual gifts and qualifications, we can be a help to 
them. 

Some may say, "I don't know anything about spiritual 
gifts, their application and spiritual import. I have not 
tried to interest anybody, and I am not able in teaching 
the gifts. If anything is said on that line, somebody 
else will have to say it." Why? Because we have not 
paid enough attention. God wants us to pay more 
attention to spiritual work and the quaBfications of the 
ministry, and be more anxious that souls get these quali- 
fications. In turn, they may be able to set these things 
forth more ably than we can set them forth, and un- 
derstand better than we can understand. I believe 
some are almost cripples in these truths. "Study to 
show thyself approved, a workman that needeth not to 
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Man 
should live by every word that proceedeth out of the 
mouth of God. 

The young disciples of the Lord need to hear about 
spiritual gifts as well as they need to hear about sanc- 
tification, and the sick need to hear about healing. God's 
children need to understand these things and therefore 



282 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

he wants us stirred up. Give it more study and prayer, 
then preach it. We must get so enthused that we will 
stir up an interest to seek after more of the things of 
God and get better qualifications. There is something 
for us to do. Will we be laborers together with the 
Lord? We can not call any one; neither can we impart 
spiritual gifts, but we can call attention to spiritual 
gifts and interest others in them. 

Whatever a person's attention is called to, that is the 
way he will go. If our teaching is all evangelistic, 
evangelize, go, go, people will get so much run in their 
heels that they won't know when to stop. If they get 
in their minds pastors, pastoral work, building up, and 
establishing the work, they will quit this running-about 
business and work on the line of establishment or what- 
ever line is held before the mind. We are creatures of 
influence. It is the same in financial matters. If we get 
the interest of the people centered too much on the for- 
eign missionary work, the principal calls will be to the 
'foreign fields. As ministers we are responsible to keep 
the church interested in all lines of spiritual work. If 
we are all-round preachers, we will be able to give the 
people the whole truth. Then God can lay his hand 
on different ones suited for certain offices in the min- 
istry. If we try to make teachers out of exhorters, and 
evangelists out of those that are calculated for pastors, 
results will not be satisfactory. Workers for every de- 
partment can be had by giving them the proper teach- 
ing and letting God impress upon their minds where 
he can lead, direct, and use them best. 

Have you ever helped God to raise up gospel work- 
ers? God wants every one of you interested. Their 
number should be increased because the demand is so 
grea*. Let us work together to supply the need as 
quickly as possible. May God stir our hearts to do our 
p-^rt. If we take in the serious condition of the work 



INCREASING THE MINISTERIAL FORCE. 283 

we have no time to stop and quibble over the little 
trifles that are disturbing the minds of some. Let us 
give serious attention to these matter, so the devil may 
not get us switched off onto unimportant things that will 
hinder the progress of the work of God. There is some- 
thing in this that God wants us to take hold of as in- 
dividuals, and if we get it as individuals, we will have 
it as a body. I pray God to stir our hearts for Jesus' 
sake. 

To be all-round ministers for the Master's work, ev- 
ery minister needs the gifts of healing in addition to 
that of teaching and exhortation. Some say, "What 
does that include?" That includes authority over all 
manner of sickness and disease, so that you are not 
afraid or doubtful when called to pray for any one 
of them. This balky, should I say cowardly, spirit of 
unbelief needs a rebuke, and we need to move out on 
the simplicity of faith and let God use us in healing 
all manner of sickness. There are gifts of divine heal- 
ing sufficient that we need not dishonor God through 
unbelief and failure; and if we will work right in line 
with the gifts of God, we will not be put to shame. 
Paul says, "Have all the gifts of healing?" There may 
be some teachers and exhorters that do not have it, but 
an all-round preacher needs it and and he is not an 
all-round preacher unless he has it. 

An evangelist should do more than simply run around 
and hold from three to ten days' meetings. A run- 
about preacher is a fellow that holds meetings from 
three to ten days for financial gain, gets all the 
money he can, and does not give the people enough 
spiritual food to feed them. After a while they 
get lean, and poor. They do not want to see a preacher 
for fear he is coming after some more money. If preach- 
ers do not quit this financial skimming process, the work 
will dwindle down until the preachers will not get any- 



284 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

thing. They will have to go into some secular work 
to get a livelihood, for the skimming process will starve 
the sheep and starve the preachers, too. 

An evangelist is one that is qualified to build up the 
work. When he begins a meeting, he stays with it 
until he has it finished. After a good revival has been 
held and a large number of people are saved, those peo- 
ple know nothing but the evangelist and the good meet- 
ing. They do not know the pastor and a large per cent 
of them will drift away; the best pastor can not hold 
them. If a good evangelist will stay long enough to 
get every one adjusted to the pastor and assembly, he 
can go on and establish a work somewhere else. Then 
the pastor can hold most of those that are saved. The 
majority get saved in the last end of the revival serv- 
ice, and they are the least prepared for the evangelist 
to leave them in that condition. There must be some 
improvement along this line if we want to see the work 
of God improve. It is not the gift of traveling that 
makes a man an evangelist; it is the gift of building up 
the assembly. An evangelist ought to be a man who can 
go into a new country and plant an assembly and stay 
with it until somebody else is able to take the oversight, 
either somebody raised up there or somebody else from 
another place. That is the kind of evangelists we ought 
to have. 

If all the preachers here today will profit by what 
has been said it will start things moving in the right 
direction, toward a real increase in the ministry. May 
God multiply the seed sown. 



PREPARE TO MEET GOD. 285 

Prepare to Meet God. 

In the Auditorium, Thursday morning, June 12, 
by M. P. Rimmer. 

I invite your attention to a text of scripture found 
in the 14th chapter of St. John: "Let not your heart 
be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In 
my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, 
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for 
you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will 
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where 
I am, there ye may be also." This the Lord Jesus 
Christ addressed to his disciples. By reading the 14th 
chapter of Luke, we find what it takes to be a disciple. 
In the 33d verse Jesus says, "So likewise, whosoever 
he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he can 
not be my disciple." 

In the first text we learn that Jesus went to prepare 
a place for the disciples; and in the second we learn 
that we can be disciples only by forsaking all that we 
have. Then the question should arise in every heart, 
"Have I actually given up all that I should to the will 
of God?" This is required of every one of us. Jesus 
never spoke anything but what he meant. When he 
said, "Repent and believe the gospel," he meant every 
word of it. He spake as never man spake. May God 
help us, then to see the depth of meaning in these words 
of Jesus. 

Now, Jesus has gone to prepare a place for his 
disciples. His disciples are his church. His church 
is his bride. Now he has gone to prepare a place for 
his bride, his church, and he is actually coming back 
after her. We do not know how long it will be, but 
the majority of us believe that it is not very far off in 
the future and I am glad it is not. I am glad that 
it is a reality and I am looking forward for that time to 



286 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

come when Jesus Christ will come back. I believe I 
have a place in that mansion that he says he has gone 
to prepare for his people. Since he is coming back, 
it is our first duty to see that we are ready for him. 
He said, "Be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye 
think not the Son of man cometh." Matt. 24 : 44. We 
do not know when, but he may come before 1913 comes 
to a close. We do not know when it is going to be, but 
let us be on the safe side, let us be ready. We can be; 
it is our privilege to be ; and I want to say, dear friends, 
there should not be a man, woman, boy, or girl, to leave 
this camp ground until they know they are ready. Noth- 
ing should interest your minds so much this morning as 
being ready to meet God. 

In Amos 4: 12 we read: "Prepare to meet thy God, O 
Israel." Now you sisters that prepare meals every day, 
you know very well that to prepare a meal does not 
mean for you to sit down and fold your arms. No, 
but there is something required on your part in order 
to have dinner ready. You farmers know that it takes 
something on your part to raise a crop; you have some 
preparations to make. And there are some prepara- 
tions for you to make in order to be ready to meet God. 
Everybody will have to meet him. We read in 2 Cor. 
5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment 
seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things 
done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether 
it be good or bad." That means every father, mother, 
yes, every individual under the sound of my voice this 
morning: we are going to meet at the judgment. Not 
one of us will escape in that day; we will all be there; 
and what we want to do is to be ready for that event. 

I want to see you ready for that solemn occasion. I 
believe I am surrounded with numbers that are ready; 
surrounded with dear ones that could say with John 
the Revelator, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus." Let us 



PREPARE TO MEET GOD. 287 

see that we are ready. We have only a short life to live. 
We should live it to the glory of God. We can not afford 
to live this life in a careless way. I make it a business 
wherever I go to wield an influence for good. I do 
not care where I am or what condition of life I am 
in, I want my influence to be felt for good everywhere. 
Several years ago I moved into a community for a 
short time in the state of Tennessee. The people did not 
receive me very gladly. Of course, the saints that lived 
in that community were glad to have me come, but the 
business men of the community, hearing there was a 
holiness preacher coming into the city opposed me. The 
postmaster did not have a good kind word for me. I lived 
just across the road from his home, and I decided I 
would win his confidence, God being my helper. I 
prayed to God to give me wisdom and knowledge to go 
about it. I realized it took the help of God, for he was 
so bitter against the saints of God. I had prayer twice 
a day in my home, and he could hear that. I do not 
know what effect that had on him, but one day I was 
sitting in my room reading, and he was planting pota- 
toes just across the street from my home. There was 
a large cloud coming up and I saw he was trying to get 
his potatoes planted before the rain came. I just took 
off my coat and walked across the street and asked 
him if he had another hoe, and he said yes. I got 
the hoe and he dropped the potatoes and I began to 
cover them right after him. I got them covered, he 
thanked me, and I went back home. From that time, 
that man treated me nicely, and when I left the town, 
I had his confidence. I do not say this to boast. It 
was not anything in me but what the Lord had done 
in helping me. We want to seek to gain the confidence 
and interest of the people. God gave Daniel and the 
three Hebrew children power and influence over the 
leaders of the country, they had the confidence of the 



288 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

king; and we want to seek to get influence and confi- 
dence with the people wherever we shall go. 

One sister said to me, "I like you people, but it does 
not seem as if some of you like me." We ought to 
endeavor right here at this meeting to treat people 
kindly. Men and women have come here for help, and 
many never have been at a camp-meeting like this. 
May God help us to have heavenly wisdom in dealing 
with these precious souls. Let us be careful how we 
deal with souls. Let us be kind in talking to them. Let 
us fall on our faces and ask God for heavenly wisdom. 
We need this in order that we may be able to rescue 
them for heaven. Jesus will soon return to gather his 
redeemed home, and we want to take our friends and 
loved ones with us. 



ENCOURAGING THE YOUNG WORKERS. 289 



Encouraging the Young Workers. 

In the Auditor um, Thursday morning, June 12, by Mary Cole. 
Following- sermon by M. P. Riramer. 

When you have a chance to drop a word in five 
minutes' time, do not hold back because you can 
not preach a big, long sermon and put some great big 
words into it, but do what God wants you to do, and 
then sit down in the meekness of Jesus. Sometimes in 
real good meetings, God has seen fit to use two or three 
to bring out a good discourse. There are souls here 
that need all the different kinds of food. There may 
be some that need food that you have not got, and maybe 
somebody else has the food that they need. There is 
a large concourse of people here from all parts of the 
world, from so many different places, and some that 
do not get to hear a sermon for weeks and months; 
they need the Word on various lines, and we must all be 
diligent to give them the instruction they need. 

There have been scores of us earnestly praying that 
God would send forth the truth that would help his 
children, so that when little waves come around they 
would not affect them. If we live too much on the 
surface we get affected. If we deepen down in God, 
let the waves come and they will not affect us. When 
people get discouraged so easily and everything seems 
to go wrong, or they get a misunderstanding of God's 
word or imbibe the wrong doctrine and get confused, 
it is because they have not deepened down in God. As 
we go down deeper these things will not have any effect 
upon us. 

ILLUSTRATION FROM CIVIL WAR TIMES. 

I remember, when a girl, during the Civil War, we 
lived not very far from where battles were fought. A 
large regiment of soldiers came along one time and 



290 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

camped close to our home. The neighbors came to our 
home and said, "We thought by our coming here, that 
if the soldiers would have a battle, and cannon balls 
were used, your home was in such a low place they 
would go over and wouldn't hurt us." The Lord gave 
me this thought after I got saved. Live in a low place 
and the cannon balls will not hurt you. Some people 
get hurt because they get their heads too high and they 
may have more in the head than in the heart. God wants 
us to understand that while we are to love him and 
his people, we are but helpers and can do nothing with- 
out him. The more we learn of God the more God can 
do through us. 

Let us encourage the young workers. I was once 
a young worker myself. I do not profess to be anything 
but a little child of God yet, but young workers need 
encouragement as much as anyone else. 

At a certain time and place there was a young worker 
starting out who had exercised but very little in the 
pulpit, but God's hand was upon him. I happened to 
be one of the workers present, and an old worker said 
to me, "Now Sister Cole, you and I will do the preach- 
ing and this young worker will not need to move out 
until the meeting is very well along." Just as much as 
to say, if he should move out, he would spoil the meet- 
ing. And this older worker did not have any more 
wisdom than to talk this way to the young worker. I 
knew God would take care of things all right. Later on 
this young worker was under a crush. I did not know 
what to do, but God brought it to my understanding to 
encourage him. Young workers do not need holding 
back, they need urging on; sometimes they need push- 
ing. The Lord gave me a dream. I thought in my 
dream that the young worker came to me and told me 
that this older worker had discouraged him and tried 
to crush him and hold him back, and then he whipped 



ENCOURAGING THE YOUNG WORKERS. 291 

him because he did not move out. When I woke up I 
thought that it was nothing but a dream and that cer- 
tainly it was not so. But the next day I asked the 
young worker about it, saying I guessed there was 
nothing in it. He answered, "I guess there is something 
in it," and tears flowed freely from his eyes. Oh, but 
the holy vehemence stirred up in my soul ! Later I said 
to the older worker, "I had a dream about you and 
this younger worker." He answered, "Was it a good 
dream?" I replied, "I will tell you, and then you can 
judge." And he said, "Oh, this brother has been telling 
you something." "No sir," I said, "he has not. It was 
God that showed me, and this brother is ready to leave 
the field because you have been holding him back." He 
said, "Sister Cole, I will never do so again," and I don't 
think he ever did. 

Some that are timid need you and me to hold them 
up like little children starting to walk. When do you 
think that a child would get strength to walk alone if 
we held it back? God wants you and me to hold on to 
the young workers, to hold them up by our faith and 
encouragement. There are a few that naturally are 
inclined to run ahead of themselves, and they will have 
to have a few upsets before they learn their lesson. 
If we run ahead of God, we are worse than nothing. 
If we put two ciphers after a figure 1, it increases the 
value, but if we put the ciphers before the figure the 
value is not increased. If you get ahead of God, you are 
nothing but a cipher ; you do not stand for anything 
and God can not make use of you; but if you let God 
stand in front you will stand for something great. 
There are young workers, who, if they could just com- 
prehend the fact that God does not want them to lean 
upon themselves but lean upon him, they would find 
everlasting power back of them. Many young workers 
hold back and tremble and are afraid to move out, be- 



202 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

cause they have it in their minds that God wants "ME" 
to do it instead of God doing it through them. Then 
they get discouraged and can not do anything, all 
because they do not recognize God as the motive- 
power. 

INCIDENT IN EARLY LIFE. 

Shortly after I was saved I was asked to lead in 
prayer in a certain meeting. I answered that I did not 
know whether I could or not. They quoted the Word, 
"Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it." So I thought 
if my mouth was not swollen shut or if I did not have 
the lock-jaw I could open my mouth. I had a stam- 
mering tongue, and my father told them never to call 
on me again. But God's word says the stammering 
tongue shall be loosed and be ready to speak plainly. 
I was as much as three years out in gospel work before 
I was able to tell at the beginning of a discourse where 
my text was, because of stammering. Sometimes God 
would let me stammer, but the glory would bubble up 
in my soul, and when I tried to excuse myself because 
of the stammering, God would say, "Who made man's 
mouth?" And the Lord brought in such consolation as 
this: He had sent Aaron with Moses because of his 
stammering tongue, but he would do better with me; 
he would go with me himself, and he has fulfilled his 
promise all the way along. I will soon be sixty years old 
and he has never disappointed me once. Oh, help me 
praise the Lord! Lean on God and trust in him and 
confide in him. They that trust the Lord shall not lack 
any good thing. 

In the forepart of my ministry I had an experience 
like this: I found myself moving in a little groove and 
God could not get anything new or fresh to me because 
I had to go my own round. But I soon learned my 
lesson and leaned on God instead of on my past ex- 



ENCOURAGING THE YOUNG WORKERS. 293 

perience, so the dear Lord could give me something 
fresh and new. If you want something good and fresh 
from heaven you can get it right straight down from 
glory quicker than a lightning flash. And that fresh- 
ness of experience is what makes sinners hungry. I 
sometimes illustrate it this way: If I go in a kitchen 
and they take out some nice hot bread it stirs up a 
hunger so I can hardly keep from eating. Get some- 
thing fresh from heaven and it stirs up hunger in the 
sinner. 

It is the King of Glory that wants to have an op- 
portunity to use you and me as little implements. He 
has to clean us up before he can use us, and we have 
to keep pliable in his hands all the time. If you and 
I get real pliable in the hands of God, it is marvelous 
what God can work in and through us. 

I heard of a person once asking an artist what he 
could do for him, and he said, "Just keep out of my 
sunlight." We should keep out of God's way, hide 
behind the cross, and not put ourselves on exhibition 
as if we were somebody. Jesus says, "If I be lifted up, 
I will draw all men unto me." If we lift up Jesus the 
people will not be disappointed; but if we lift up our- 
selves, they will think for a little time that we are some- 
thing, but will find us to be mere failures. Lean on God 
and trust in him for understanding and comprehension. 
God is all he promised he would be. His word is forever 
settled in heaven and will never fail; and if he calls 
people to his service, he does so, not because they are 
of any importance, but because they are so little, because 
they won't get in his way. When we keep little, it is 
then that God can let his glory fall upon us. Some 
people would like to have a recipe so that they 
would know how to keep saved. I don't know any- 
thing better than to keep small and keep filled with 
God. 



294 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

WHEN THE TIDE IS IN. 

Once when I was in California, at the ocean-side, the 
Lord gave me a lesson like this: When there is a low 
tide you see all the rocks and shoals and all the rough 
unsightly things sticking up. But when the tide is in it 
covers all and there is just one sea of water, like a sea 
of glass. It is all smooth and nice. When we have 
high tide of salvation, all the rocks and shoals and the 
things sticking up in our human nature are all covered 
up and when people look at us they just see Jesus. 
They do not see those rocks and shoals, but they see 
Jesus, and that is what they want to see. People have 
seen big men and brainy men, but what they want is 
to see Jesus. 

God's workers and ministers should all get filled and 
keep filled with Jesus. People looking at us will see 
Christ in his beauty and loveliness and will be drawn 
to him if we are filled with Jesus and keep filled. I 
do not mean keeping where you can be enraptured all 
the time, but I mean where Christ will be reigning in 
your life. 

At a certain place where we were holding meeting, 
a young man said, when we talked to him about his 
soul, "I don't want the kind of religion Ma has got." 
She was making a profession but did not have a real 
experience of salvation and the poor boy was disgusted 
with it. Later on the mother got a real experience of 
salvation. The boy was not slow to see it and said in 
his way, "Mother has got religion now, and I want the 
kind she has got now." He came to God, paid the 
price and got it, and he is now one of God's true 
ministers. When father and mother have the right kind 
of religion, the children can very often see it and it 
has its effect. It means something to let our lights 
so shine before men that others, seeing our good works, 
will be constrained to glorify our Father which is in 



ENCOURAGING THE YOUNG WORKERS. 295 

heaven. We should be way-marks. "Let your light 
so shine." We should so act and walk that people will 
be won to Christ. We should be lights that shine in a 
dark place, and if we will, the King of Glory will be 
honored and exalted, and souls will be won to him by the 
scores and thousands. As we have heard said, one 
holy life lived for God will shake the country for ten 
miles around. How much farther should it go on ? It 
should go to all kindreds and tongues. It is not just 
what we profess that satisfies the people, but what we 
possess and what they see us live out. You and I ought 
to live so correctly before God that the Christ life in you 
will read just as it does in the New Testament. 

I am glad Jesus saves and sanctifies. I am glad that 
he is all and in all to me. I was an invalid from my 
childhood up to the age of twenty-seven, and the doctors 
could not cure me. They said it was as easy to make a 
world as to restore me to health. When the power of 
God got hold of me he did a perfect work. That was 
over thirty-two years ago and he has been my physician 
ever since. The same Jesus that walked in Galilee reigns 
today, and he is the same that he was when he gave his 
life for the sins of the people. 



296 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



How to Get Healing Faith. 

In the Auditorium, Thursday afternoon, June 12, 
by Willis M. Brown. 

I thank God for the privilege we have of making 
preparation for eternity in this life, so that when we 
come to meet God we can say it is well. I thank God 
that he has so arranged it that this preparation is a 
personal matter between every individual and God. We 
do not have to depend upon somebody else making it for 
us, but we can make it ourselves with God. I praise 
God today for salvation. It is the best thing I have 
found, and I am not hunting anything to take its place. 
I had to give up everything I had to get salvation and I 
have never wanted to trade back. I have been satisfied 
ever since. I have not been looking for anything I left 
behind, but have been looking forward to see the good 
things that are in front. I am glad that it is better on 
before. There has never been a time in the eighteen 
years of my experience when the testing time came but 
what I could realize that the sun was shining behind the 
clouds, and that at the end of every test is a blessing. 

You will meet some trials along the way. A woman 
came to me one time after I had preached, and said, 
"Now this sanctification is what is bothering me. Our 
preacher once preached sanctification and I sought it 
and obtained it. He told me I would not have any more 
trials, or tests; that it was a life of peace and joy; and 
when the tests came, I gave it up. I concluded I did 
not have it." She quit professing, lost her salvation, 
and now she was down and out. She just got in good 
condition for the trials, and God let them come. God 
lets the trials come as we have grace to stand them. He 
will give us the grace if we will seek it, and he will 
prepare us for the trials. We shall be purified, made 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. 297 

white and tried as gold is tried in fire. You need not 
expect to reach God and spend eternity with the angels 
without any trials in this life, unless you die pretty 
quick after you get saved. 

When I was a boy, the convicting Spirit of God moved 
upon my heart. I went to the meeting and tried to get 
salvation — religion, as they called it — but failed to get 
the right instruction and the blessing. I could not do 
some things they said to do. They said, Love Jesus; 
and I could not because I did not know there was a 
Jesus; so I left without getting any benefit. Persecu- 
tions from my associates drove me farther away from God 
and I went deeper into sin in order to get rid of convic- 
tion. It stayed with me for several years, but when 
I rebelled against God, by the bedside of my dying 
child in the presence of two infidels, one a judge and 
the other a doctor, I went into infidelity, and the Spirit 
of God left my heart. For eight years I never knew 
what conviction was. Finally, God in his mercy, for 
which I thank him from the depths of my heart, pro- 
vided a way whereby I might see the manifestation of 
God's power in answer to prayer. This convinced me 
that there was a God who could answer prayer, and it 
encouraged me to call on him for help. My condition 
was sad. I was lost, without God and without hope; 
I was in trouble, and did not know a way out ; man could 
not help me, and I did not know God; I often tried to 
take my life. But when I found out that there was a 
God who answered prayer, and that he would deliver 
me, I began to hope for salvation. 

Ofttimes I am asked how I got faith. The way I got 
faith was by coming to God to ask him for conviction 
and for deliverance from sin. I did not pray for God 
to save me when I first saw my child healed; no, I did 
not pray for anything. I studied a while, and after I 
was thoroughly convinced I called on God for convic- 



298 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

tion. When I got sufficient conviction, then I could be- 
gin to see what I had to do; and when I was willing 
to do what God wanted me to do, faith took hold of the 
promise and salvation came to my soul. 

I did not have to guess what I had. A great many 
people pray for things but are so confused that they 
do not know what they are getting when they get 
their answer. When you send an order for a bill of 
goods, you are supposed to send the money with it. 
You see the catalog; you make out your order, and then 
you send the price. It would be no use for you to send 
the order in, and write to the company, telling them 
that you have done business with them a good while and 
suppose they remember you and asking them to please 
send the goods at once with the understanding that if 
you like the goods you will send the money. Would you 
have faith in their filling your order? Certainly not. 

When you send an order up to God, you have got 
to send the price with it. There are too many who make 
out orders to be paid for if satisfactory. You need not 
come to God that way. God bless your soul, if you make 
out the order, and send the price with it, the goods will 
come. It might not come just like you expected, or at 
the time you expected it, but the way for you to do is 
to just patiently await its coming. God has promised, 
and he will let the heavens fall before he will fail to 
do what he promised. What you have to do is to order 
according to his book and you will get your order all 
right. 

No doubt there are people under the sound of my 
voice who have written me asking how I got faith for 
divine healing. They wonder how it was that an in- 
fidel, given up by three doctors to die with consumption, 
could get faith in God to take him as his healer, turn 
loose everything that he considered as remedies, and 
take God alone. It is a curiosity to some, but I believe 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. 299 

I will tell you just one thing that happened. It is 
pretty strong, but it is not any stronger for you to hear, 
than it was for me to see. 

Some here know that there was a gambling-den close 
to me, with my house as headquarters. When I got 
saved, I wanted my old associates to be saved also. 
That is natural for those who get salvation. I got a 
preacher to come to my house to hold a meeting in the 
community. He was sick. I had other things in view 
besides the meeting. As I loved him, I wanted to take 
care of him; and besides, I wanted to see if he used 
medicine. He was sick for sometime, so I and others 
started the meeting. Quite a number got saved. God's 
power was so manifested that it raised the curiosity of 
the most wicked men in that country. I can now look 
into the face of a man who is witness to that. That 
country was stirred as it never had been stirred before. 
The meetings would commence about nine o'clock in the 
morning. We would have testimony, prayer, and song- 
service until about eleven o'clock. The preacher never 
set his time to quit, and the altar service would last 
from the time he quit preaching until five in the after- 
noon. Then those that wanted lunch would go to sup- 
per, and those who did not would remain there and rest 
until about six, when meeting commenced again, and 
would last until about two o'clock in the morning. The 
metings ran on for about three weeks. They were held 
in the schoolhouse. 

One day two ladies were sitting on the front bench. 
One of them laid her head over on the desk. I saw her, 
but I thought she was asleep, and the other people 
thought the same. Later the other woman shook her, 
but she could not awaken the sleeping woman. She 
screamed out, "This woman is dead !" Doctor McGin- 
nis, a fine physician, was sitting near; he quickly exam- 
ined her, and said that she was dead. 



300 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

The preacher got out of the pulpit, laid some over- 
coats on the floor and laid the woman on them. We did 
not know what was going to happen next. He went back 
to the pulpit and continued preaching. People sat there 
spell-bound and God almighty poured out his truth 
through that man; it found lodgment, too. Finally the 
preacher said, "The Spirit of God says to me to pray 
for that woman and she will be raised up." That was 
quite a new thing for us. We had never heard it that 
way before. The preacher walked down out of the 
pulpit and started toward the woman, saying, "Come on, 
Brother Brown and Sister Lambert, let us pray for her." 
The idea of stepping out there before the people who 
were persecuting the preacher and praying for a dead 
woman looked like pretty slim business to me. I was 
ashamed to be a coward, so I went, but did not have 
much faith. The preacher and Sister Lambert were 
down on their knees by the time I got there. The doctor 
knelt down, put his fingers on an artery and on the 
pulse. The preacher began to pray, the sister began to 
pray, and it was not long until I was praying. I for- 
got all about the people, and how it looked to them. 
I was lost in God. When the preacher said amen, the 
dead woman threw up her hands and sang, 
"O, come angel band, 

Come and around me stand; 

Oh, bear me away on your snowy wings 

To my immortal home." 

The doctor said, "Good people, this woman was dead. 
She had been dead for thirty minutes. It is thirty 
minutes since we discovered she was dead but she is 
now alive." Praise the Lord ! 

There were plenty of living witnesses to that case. 
I thought if God almighty could raise a woman to life 
who had been dead for thirty minutes, he could do any- 
thing else he promised to do. Well, you say, that is 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. SOI 

the last case. No, it is not. I am not going to tell 
you all I know here. I am writing a book, and I am 
putting all these instances in it, not only of my early 
ministry, but of my late ministry. Also some of my 
New Mexico experiences. 

There are people here this afternoon that want help 
from God. There are people here that need salvation. 
There are people here that need healing, and some of 
them would rather have healing than have salvation. 
But if you want healing you have to come God's way in 
order to get it. I told you about sending in the order 
for goods before you pay for it. It is of no use for you 
to send the order to God before you meet the conditions. 
Obedience to God brings out the faith. 

God said through the prophet Isaiah, "Come now, and 
let us reason together." God wants to reason with you. 
I do not propose to hold anything down on you and say 
you shall do this, and that, or the other, but I want to 
reason with you about God's promise to you and your 
privileges in Christ. Jesus Christ died on the cross to 
make a way whereby you might come to God and have 
such things as you stand in need of; not only for the 
healing of your soul, but for the healing of your body. 
He atoned for it, paid the price, the word is spoken, and 
the only thing for you to do is to meet the conditions, 
exercise the faith, and receive the blessing. "Come now, 
and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your 
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though 
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." You 
may be a sinner far away from God as I was, — an infidel 
down in the ditch of degradation and sin — but thank 
God, he loves you, and if you pay the price, he will mal&e 
himself known unto you. But you must pay the price; 
you must be willing to come the Bible way. 

There is no use for you to sit back in your easy chair 
and tell Go3 to come down and heal you. You have got 



302 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

to have faith first. Too many people want God to do 
something first, like the preacher who wanted me to 
raise his father who had been dead forty years, and then 
he would believe. God is not going to do that kind of 
business. He did not even speak the stone into bread 
for the devil, and he did not jump off the pinnacle 
of the temple, he did not bow down to the devil for 
something to eat, though he was hungry. He does not 
want his preachers to do it; and he will not perform a 
miracle simply to please you, but only for his glory. 

When man and woman were in the garden of Eden, 
they were as holy and pure and free as was God; but 
when the devil deceived them the curse came upon them. 
Since that time Satan has had mankind under his power 
and has imposed every curse that could be put upon 
humanity. God almighty, in his compassion, was grieved 
to see his own handiwork, that which he had made in his 
own image, disobey him and come under Satanic power. 
He promised a way by which man could get back to him. 
Where there was no way he made a way. Praise God ! 
Christ, the Son of God, the priceless jewel of heaven, 
laid down his glittering crown in the courts of glory, 
came down to this earth of sin, took upon himself the 
nature of man. He was born in a stable, cradled in a 
manger, raised by a carpenter. He suffered pain and 
hunger; he was weary many times. He was a man, but 
he was also God. On the cross he suffered for our sins, 
bowed his head, and said, "It is finished." The way was 
now completed. There is a redemption for fallen man. 
Oh, that sin-cursed -and fallen humanity might come from 
under the power of hell, come into touch with God, be 
heirs with God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. 

Do you want salvation? That is the first thing you 
should look after. But first you must find out if you 
want : t. If I were to come through your country selling 
something, the first thing I would want to know would 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. 303 

be whether or not you wanted the article I was selling. 
If you would not want it., there would be no need of my 
spending much time with you. But if you want it, then 
it is all right for me to tell you the price; and if you 
want it more than you want the price, you will pay the 
price for it. The thing for you to do is to see whether 
you want the redemption promised to mankind. If you 
want it, see what the price is; then you will see whether 
you want it or the price. If you rather have the price, 
you can not get the redemption ; but if you pay the price, 
the redemption is yours. It is for all who will come the 
Bible way. 

Peter said one time when the Holy Ghost fell on the 
children of God, "For the promise is unto you, and to 
your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many 
as the Lord our God shall call." Who has he called? 
Tit. 2:11.: "For the grace of God that bringeth salva- 
tion hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, deny- 
ing ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, 
righteously, and godly, in this present world." There 
is no place to get ready for heaven, but down here in 
this wicked world where evil things will be said of 
you, and where those of your own household may turn 
against you, but your salvation is sufficient to keep 
you. 

Your life, from the time that you accept Christ as 
your Savior, is to be a light to the world in darkness. 
You can be a witness to the truth of God. You can be 
a preacher even if you do not preach with your mouth. 
A certain preacher moved on a tract of land adjoining 
the home of an infidel. The infidel talked hard about a 
sanctified preacher getting so close to him. This preacher 
did not try to make the infidel believe he was sanctified. 
He never bothered him, but he attended to his own busi- 
ness. He treated his neighbor nice and lived the life 
of Christ before him. A camp-meeting was arranged for, 



304 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

and the gospel of Jesus Christ went forth. The infidel 
attended the meeting. At the close of one sermon he 
came to the altar. They asked him, "Have you ever 
heard this gospel preached?" He answered, "Yes, I 
have watched a sermon a year long." He had not only 
heard a sermon preached at the meeting, but he had been 
watching the life of the sanctified man for a year. 
It is not only the preacher in the pulpit that the world is 
watching, but it is watching you. Have you preached a 
sermon a year long? 

In 1 Cor. 1:9 I read: "God is faithful, by whom ye 
were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ 
our Lord." You are called unto fellowship with Christ; 
then if you are, you certainly ought to be like him. You 
know what it takes to have fellowship. It has been 
preached from this pulpit what fellowship is, and what 
it takes to keep it. To have fellowship requires walk- 
ing in the light of the gospel; but you have got to get 
into the light before you can walk in it. A brother on this 
camp ground said that when he first heard the truth he 
did not accept it. His father and mother and wife ac- 
cepted it, but he stood stiff. He was honest in the be- 
ginning; but finally he watched their lives, listened to 
their testimonies, read the Bible, and found that what 
they possessed was truth. But it was a little too low for 
him, so he stood against it. The others would testify, 
"Thank God I am saved, sanctified, and walking in the 
light." Finally he concluded that he would get off some- 
thing like they did, so he got up and said, Thank God I 
am saved and — and — and standing in the light." What 
was the result of it? He went to the alte* and got into 
the light. He is now living for God. 

There is a difference between walking in the lig] . 
and standing in the light. No doubt many here are 
standing in the light. Yes, you want God to hear you, 
and you want all the benefits God has promised in his 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. 305 

Word, but you are standing in the light. Some of you 
have told me so. God Almighty will never throw light 
into that darkness contrary to his Word. You have to 
obey God to get him to do what you want done. It is a 
dangerous thing to know the light of God and not to walk 
in it. How long can we know it and not do it and yet 
keep saved? I can not tell you. I would advise you not 
to try it. You had better move up if God gives you light. 
The Lord God Almighty help us for Jesus' sake to walk 
in the light of the gospel. The apostle Peter said that 
Jesus set us an example that we might follow his steps. 
You know what that is, do you not? God Almighty has 
made it very plain through the inspired men of God as 
they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Jesus has marked 
the way by the miracles he performed, the sick that he 
healed, and has sealed it with his own blood. You can 
be like him by following his steps. He told his disci- 
ples to go and preach the gospel to every creature; he 
that believed it and was baptized, should be saved, and 
he that believed it not should be damned. What part 
of the gospel ? In Matt. 4:4, we read : "Man shall not 
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth 
out of the mouth of God." 

Now, brethren, God wants you to teach all of the 
Word. Do not try to teach part of it and push the rest 
aside. Preach the Word. How much? Every word. 
But, says one, part of it has passed away. Jesus said, 
Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall 
not pass away. But then, did you not know that a num- 
ber of ministers met in Chicago and took certain tilings 
out of the Bible? I knew they took it out of their 
creed, but they never got it out of my Bible. It is still 
in here. In Rev. 22: 19 we read, "And if any man shall 
take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, 
God shall take away his part out of the book of life, 
and out of the holy c$*y, and frotn the things which are 



306 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

written in this book." If you do not want your name 
taken out, you had better walk in the light of the 
gospel. 

When Jesus sent his disciples to preach the Word, he 
"gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them 
out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner 
of disease." He did not say, 'I give you power to make 
any one uncover a thing even if he does not want to.' 
But, 'I give you power over disease and evil spirits.' 
If you are sick or have evil spirits, you have to un- 
cover and expose everything that would hinder you from 
being healed or delivered. 

One might ask, What do you mean by uncovering? 
I will tell you a little thing that happened recently. A 
wheel-chair with a man in it was run up to the altar 
where I was praying for the sick. I said, "Do you be- 
lieve that God will heal you?" He said, "I hope so." 
"Do you know so?" "I am trusting him." "Are you 
using any remedies?" "None." "Are you doing any- 
thing but trusting God?" "No." What could I do? 
Tell him he lied? I did not know the man, yet I did 
not feel right about him. He had me in the corner. If 
I did not pray for him, the people would say, "That 
hard-hearted man will not pray for that poor man." I 
have often got it that way. So I prayed and commanded 
the man to rise up in the name of Jesus. He made an 
attempt, but fell back. Why did he not get up? He 
was not healed. Why was he not healed? Did I not 
have power to heal him ? No, I did not, and God Al- 
mighty would not, because the man did not uncover, and 
confess that he had been using remedies. Some one 
said to him, "Did you not go to doctor so and so? Did 
he not treat you with an electric battery?" I learned 
that he had had an osteopath rubbing him and had tried 
many different things. I could only walk away and leave 
him. 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. 307 

Why are you not healed? Have you uncovered and 
confessed the things you have done to grieve God? If 
you will not expose a thing, God's ministers can not 
deliver you. God said, "Ye shall have power over un- 
clean spirits to cast them out and to heal all manner of 
sickness and disease." How many preachers have that 
power? It was just for Paul, wasn't it? What did 
Jesus tell them to preach? 'Go preach the kingdom of 
heaven is at hand; heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out 
devils; freely ye have received, freely charge'? No. 
"Freely give." That is the trouble. 

Some poor preachers have charged big salaries and 
told the people that healing could not be done. Suppose 
every preacher had obeyed the commission that Jesus 
Christ gave him to preach the Word, and had told the 
people that healing could be done, and kept the people's 
faith up as it was in the apostolic day, would God not 
manifest his power in the world today as he did then? 
But they have taught us that God has withdrawn his 
hand and does not love us now as he did then, and that 
we will have to look back to what he did in the apos- 
tolic day and wish that we could have lived then; or 
that we will have to look forward to the time when we 
will by chance get to heaven. I thank God that we have 
found out that we can reign with one Christ Jesus in 
this life and enjoy these blessings now as they did in 
the apostolic day. 

If you get sick and do not know what to do, turn to 
the fifth chapter of James and read about the four- 
teenth verse. "Is any sick among you? let him call 
for the elders of the church ; and let them pray over him, 
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the 
prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall 
raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall 
be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, 
and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." Now, 



308 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

does the Holy Ghost lead you to take the prescription 
God gave, or to send for a doctor? 

One might ask, How do we confess our faults? There 
were two sisters-in-law where I lived one time that had 
trouble. One got down the gun and tried to shoot the 
other. We were holding meetings and they were at- 
tending. One of them got under conviction and came 
to the altar. I asked her what she wanted. She said, 
"Salvation." 

"What had you rather have than salvation?" 

"Nothing in the world." 

"Are you willing to confess your faults?" 

"Yes." 

"Have you ever made it right with your sister-in-law?" 

"I never did any wrong," she said. 

"Have you ever asked her forgiveness for what you 
have said?" 

"No." 

"Are you willing to do it?" 

"Yes." 

She wanted to put it off, but I urged her to do it right 
now. The other woman was sitting in the congregation. 
She was afraid of the woman. I said, "God will take 
care of you and I will pray. Do your duty." 

She ran back past the woman without any halt and 
sajd, "Forgive me," and then ran back to the altar. I 
said, "Hold on, you must do that over. Go put your 
arms around her neck and humble yourself to her. God 
will take care of you. I wfll pray for you. She will 
not hurt you." She went back and threw her arms 
around her sister-in-law's neck, with the hot tears drip- 
ping from her eyes, and humbly asked forgiveness. The 
woman broke down and told her that she was forgiven. 
She came back to the altar, and it was not five minutes 
until the other woman was at the altar too. I was there 
a few months ago and they were both savciJ. 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. &09 

It works this way when judgment is laid to the line, and 
people do their duty. I have never found hindrance or 
reproach caused by preaching the pure gospel of Jesus 
Christ and holding people to measure up to it. I never 
let people profess and put off something that they can 
do now. When they can not do it, God will take the 
will for the deed. If this woman's sister had not been 
there, God would have taken the will until the oppor- 
tunity afforded itself; but when she was there, there was 
no better time than then. 

Jesus says, "Let him that would follow me, deny him- 
self, take up his cross and come after me." There is no 
use for you to try to follow Jesus with all your ways, 
opinions, and faults, hanging to you. You have to get 
rid of them before you can get the Spirit of God. When 
you get the Spirit of God in your heart it will enable 
you to follow Jesus. 

In John 15:3, we read: "Now ye are clean through 
the word which I have spoken unto you." How did they 
get clean through the word? In John 17, Jesus says in 
his prayer, 'I have given them thy word and they have 
received it.' That is what cleanses us. When we receive 
the word of God, we put it in practise, do what God says 
do, and that cleans us from all our filthiness and all our 
idols. Then Jesus says, "The world hath hated them be- 
cause they are not of the world even as I am not of 
the world." Brethren, the thing to do is to follow Jesus 
and come in possession of that spirit that will enable 
you to be clean through the Word. 

But says one, how can we get clean ? Repentance will 
clean you up. Not shaking hands with the preacher or 
having a prayer said. Examine your life, your consecra- 
tion, and if you find you are not clear before God, re- 
pent. It will not hurt you to examine yourself. By 
looking at yourself with a godly sorrow and with a 
desire to know God's will, you may be able to find some 



310 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

things you might not otherwise have found. I want to 
tell you brothers and sisters, that if you can not get your 
prayers through to God, there is something in the way. 
God is not in the way. The thing must be in you. It 
may be a lack of knowledge, or a failure to understand. 
But God is merciful, and is just as willing as you 
would be to show your child the way out of trouble. 
God Almighty will show you the way out of trou- 
ble. 

When God called me to salvation, I was very ignorant, 
and knew nothing about his Word or how to get to Him, 
and had no one to ask. I did not believe that our 
preachers were saved. I called on God Almighty day and 
night. I did not pray a while, and then have a nice 
time for a while. I prayed and quit eating. I lost my 
appetite for food, and lost my appetite for drink, for 
conversation, for company ; I wanted to know God. I 
found that there was a God who had power to reach down 
and heal the sick in answer to prayer, power to break the 
bands that bound my soul and make me a man. Some 
people have said that my book is a lie and that the 
things I have written were not so, and that I never was 
a bad man. There is a man here who knew me long 
before I was a Christian. I was not raised in a band- 
box, and was no angel; I lacked a good deal of being a 
Christian. God Almighty helped me to see the beauty 
of salvation and I wanted the experience so bad that I 
turned loose everything else. When I humbled myself 
before God, and was willing to do anything he would 
have me do, God turned the light on my soul and showed 
me just what I had to do. When he showed me, I 
wanted salvation so bad I was willing to do anything. 
When I got to where I was willing, God bless your soul, 
there was a reformation in me ; the darkness of hell gave 
way; the power of sin was broken; the cords that had 
bound me for years were loosed; I was liberated; some- 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. 311 

thing had happened. I did not have to ask the people 
what it was. I knew that it was salvation. 

Some people come to God like they send a little child 
to get a whole lot of things; the child is in a hurry to 
give the order before it is forgotten, and runs into the 
store, and says, "Give me some potatoes, give me some 
rice, give me some bread, but does not give the grocer 
a chance to fill the order. Some people come to God like 
that. "Lord bless me; bless me," and never stop to 
consider. God wants you to come to him intelligently. 
See what you stand in need of, see where you are, and 
then ask him. Too many try to find God before they 
find the way. Send in your petition and hold on until 
you get that before you send for something else. Order 
as you get faith, and if you can not exercise faith, stay 
with it until you can. A man once said, "I have seen 
wicked sinners fall at the altar, get saved and sanctified 
and speak with tongues before they left the altar." I 
said they might have got the tongues, but they did not 
get saved and sanctified. It was too quick. 

Brethren, friends, if you want healing today, exam- 
ine yourself first and see where you are. The man that 
does not know where he is, is lost. A few days ago we 
got lost on the prairies. I did not know where we were ; 
everything looked alike to me. I got out my field-glasses 
and looked for a wind-mill. It took us half a day to 
get to the mill, but there was no water there. So we 
started for two other wind-mills. We saw roads and 
trails, but we paid no attention to them. Why? We 
wanted water first, and then we would try to find our 
way out. We went after the one thing. Brethren, if you 
do not know where you are, try to get to a place where 
you can receive what you stand in need of. Ask God 
Almighty to show you a way out. Do not try to jump 
out and break your neck, but stay until you see your 
way out and then go. If you find you are saved and 



312 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

know you are saved, then see if your life is consecrated 
to God. Turn everything loose. If you have done this, 
then do not let the devil accuse you. 

You know when you have turned everything loose just 
as well as I know when I let go of this book. You can 
deceive man but you can not deceive God. When you 
turn loose, you know it. All the devils in hell can not 
make you believe you have not turned loose. You know 
it. Do not try to hold to something and think that you 
can fool God. You can not do it. If you want salvation 
or healing, do what he has told you to do, and come to him 
with boldness; not with presumption, and guessing, and 
wondering, and with the devil's accusations. Throw back 
his accusations; rebuke the power of hell, and say, "I 
know I have done all that I can." Exercise faith in God 
and do not expect the preacher to pray you through. 

Listen, I want to tell you something: Some of you 
here are not healed, have not felt a bit changed since you 
were prayed for. You did not try to get anything. You 
can not get anything without faith in God. God wants 
you to get in earnest. Grasp the promise, and the work 
is done. Do not get offended at what I say; I am tell- 
ing you this for your own good. If you want anything 
of God you have got to get in earnest about it. Too 
many people make too much of a form out of prayer, 
depending on the preacher. You have to come to God. 
God Almighty wants to touch your heart. He wants to 
bless your soul as well as heal your body. Says one, 
"I did not get a witness." "What did you do to get it? 
"I had Brother B — to pray for me." Brother B — 
never healed anybody and he never said he would. If 
you get healed, it has got to come from God and you have 
to talk direct to God to get it, too. 

Suppose Brother Kilpatrick had a big rock here he 
wants to lift. He raises the one end, but can not raise 
the other. He calls me and I lift the other end, and 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. 313 

the rock goes up. The Bible says, "Where two of you 
shall agree on earth as touching any thing ye shall ask, 
it shall be done." If you do not have faith to reach 
God, then the preacher is supposed to help you reach it. 
He is not to reach God for you; but as he amens and 
agrees, all heaven is interested and the answer comes 
down. But you have to be in agreement. You have got 
to do some lifting yourself. Say, if you go to lift and 
find that you are tied back here and can not lift, you get 
the strings off, and then lift. 

I told the following illustration at Carthage, Mo. 
One time I was called to pray for a man. The brother 
that was taking me out to the sick man's place, said, This 
sick brother wants you to make your home with him. 
He is a school-teacher, a very intelligent man. He said 
that he had to quit his teaching school on account of 
his being afflicted with consumption. The man had said 
that if I would pray for him, God would heal him. We 
went in the house, and the room was very warm. The 
man was in a terrible condition, and I did not know what 
to do. The scent of medicine seemed to stifle me when 
I went in. I sat down by the stove and he began 
talking. He talked, talked, talked, and I wanted to 
pray, but I did not know how to get at it. I took my 
Bible out, and prayed God Almighty to show me how to 
start that case, as I did not know what to do. 

The man began to cough very badly, and I thought, 
He is going to get a remedy for that now. Behind me 
was an old cupboard. He went to the cupboard and 
came back with his arms full of packages, threw them 
in the stove, and said, "That is part of them." I said 
Amen. He went back to the cupboard, and I heard the 
bottles bang, and he came with an arm full of bottles 
and went out. He was gone a long time, but finally came 
in with the bottles and put them down in another room. 
I said. "You threw the medicine away but the labels 



314 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

are on the bottles, which is as much as to say that if 
you do not get healed you can get them filled again. If 
you can fool the preacher, and get healed, you do not 
need the bottle. You will have to throw those bottles 
away." He said, "I will do it." We got down to pray 
but the prayer did not go through. I said, "There is 
something the matter." He went down in his pocket 
and drew out a small bottle and threw that in the stove. 
He then went up-stairs and came down with a little vial, 
and said, "This is the last." I said, "Now are you 
ready?" He said, "Yes." Finally we hit another snag. 
"Oh, Brother Brown, I would to God I could forget 
everything I have read and everything that I have been 
into. I have been into Dowieism, Christian Science, 
Weltmerism, and Hypnotism and it all piles up between 
me and God till I can not see his healing power." I 
said, "Amen, take a stand against it, and we will rebuke 
it in the name of Jesus Christ." We did, and God Al- 
mighty healed the man, and he drove to meeting that 
night. 

The reason why I gave this illustration at Carthage, 
was because I saw the man sitting in the congregation. 
There were people there I knew would not believe it. 
I saw them elbow one another, so I said. "If the individ- 
ual of whom I am speaking is in this congregation, please 
stand up." A big stout man arose and said, "I reckon 
that means me. Brother Brown and I had that kind of 
an experience about three years ago. God healed me, 
and I am now out preaching the gospel." 

I want to show you that it takes the prayer of faith 
to heal the sick. The Holy Ghost has to dictate the 
praver of faith. If you say you have done your part, 
when you have not, the Holy Ghost can not dictate the 
prayer of faith. God killed Ananias and Sapphira for 
lying, and I would be afraid to come to God like some 
people. Is that too strong? Brethren, what we need, 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. 315 

God bless your soul, is the red-hot truth on these lines 
so that we can measure up to them. You will never know 
the truth if it is not held down on you. I want to pour 
the fire of the gospel down here till I get some of you 
to hustle to get that old slothful spirit rebuked that the 
devil has put in you. There is not one of you that I 
do not sympathize with, and love. God wants you to 
wake up to the privileges that he grants unto you through 
the gospel, and he wants you to know that you have a 
right to it. But the devil has you bound until you think 
that you can not do anything. You have had disappoint- 
ments and discouragements until you sit down and think, 
"I will just try it, and if I do not get healed, I can not 
help it." It takes faith to reach God, and what you 
want to do is to look away from discouragements. Be- 
lieve that God will do what you ask him to do. It is a 
right-now faith that gets a right-now healing. Some 
ask, "Did you ever see any gradual healing? Did you 
not know that when God does a thing he does it at 
once?" I have seen gradual healings. 

When preaching in the State of Kentucky, a man came 
to the meeting one night and ran to the altar. I went 
to talk with him, and he said, "This is the first time I have 
been in meeting for ten years. I have been disgusted 
and discouraged with the way sectarians carry on; I 
never heard the gospel before, and did not know my 
privileges in God. I want to get saved." He met the 
conditions, and God saved him, though he had not been 
in a meeting for ten years. He said, "I just thought 
when you were preaching tonight that it was Bible. My 
wife has not walked for ten years and I thought I would 
get out of the way first. She is a good Christian woman 
and I am going to send her over here tomorrow to be 
healed." 

The wife came the next day, shouting because of her 
husband's salvation. The preaching began, and in a 



316 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

short time she cried out, "Oh, I am ready to be healed 
right now." I did not feel that way, but the preacher 
stepped down out of the pulpit and said, "All right." I 
said, "Had we not better wait a while?" He thought 
that then was the time, so we laid hands on her and 
prayed. When she said, Amen she jumped to her feet, 
but fell back again. The people said, "God can heal 
little things, but he can not heal any one that has not 
walked for ten years." 

The woman invited us home with her for dinner. After 
dinner she said, "There is an old lady across the street 
that can not walk, and she wants to be healed." She 
went over there with us. I began to talk to the old lady 
and teach her how to have faith in God ; giving her a num- 
ber of illustrations. The woman was sitting there listen- 
ing, and said, "Grandma, why can't you do that?" I 
said, "Why can't you do it?" She said, "I am going to." 
We prayed for the old lady and she got up and walked. 
We soon left for meeting. Her husband went with us, 
and she stayed at home. She said that after she had pre- 
pared for bed she was impressed to get on her knees and 
pray, though she had not knelt for ten years. The devil 
said, "If you do kneel, you can not get up till John comes 
home." She fell on her knees and began to pray. It 
came to her, "You are healed, get up." She sprang to 
her feet, ran out in the streets, screaming and shout- 
ing. 

What I want you to see is, that if the preacher is a 
thousand miles from you, when you meet the conditions 
of God's Word, and exercise faith, the work is done. 
Jesus said to the man with the paralyzed hand, "Stretch 
forth thy hand." He put forth the effort to do what 
Jesus said, and his hand was made whole. It is by faith, 
not by feeling. Why certainly, if we could all wait 
till we are healed before we believe, it would be no 
trouble to believe; but God wants us to believe before 



HOW TO GET HEALING FAITH. 317 

we are healed. "Blessed are they which have not seen 
and yet have believed." 

Now we could talk about this a long time. There are 
lots of people here that want healing, and they would 
rather be healed than to have anything else, but God 
would rather have you right with Him than anything 
else, and make healing a secondary matter. If you will 
do that, there Will be less reproach upon the cause of 
God, and more healing done. May the Lord bless you 
for Jesus' sake, and enable you to come to the throne 
of grace boldly. We want you to get a benefit. We can 
give you nothing but the Word of God. You will have 
to obey it. We can not do that for you. We can pray 
with you, but God bless you, God must heal you, and the 
Holy Ghost must dictate the prayer of faith. The con- 
ditions must be met before you will be accepted. Come 
in the fear of God, not with presumption. 



318 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

God's Time Now. 

In the Auditorium, Thursday evening, June 12, 
by W. F. Chapel. 

You will find my text recorded in the second verse of 
the sixth chapter of Second Corinthians: "For he saith, 
I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day 
of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the 
accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." I 
wish to use in connection with this text, a scripture 
found in Prov. 29: 1, 2 — "He, that being often re- 
proved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, 
and that without remedy. When the righteous are in 
authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bear- 
eth rule, the people mourn." 

Now we have before us tonight a subject presenting 
some facts which are due our consideration; some things 
which concern every individual here tonight. One thing 
is, that we are living in this world with the privilege of 
accepting Jesus Christ, provided we have not sinned 
away our day of grace, and I hope none here tonight 
have done that. Tonight God gives to you another op- 
portunity of being saved, of accepting him now, but 
tomorrow it may be too late. 

My text conveys to our minds these two leading 
thoughts; and first, that God has offered a salvation 
now; second, that tomorrow it may be too late for us 
to accept it. While we are here in this camp-meeting 
is a good time to get saved. This is another great 
opportunity God has presented to you, where you can 
have the holy influence of God's saints around you and 
many souls to pray for you that God may help you. 
God in his infinite mercy and love has given you this 
time that you have now, and the apostle said, "Behold 
now is the accepted time," as much as to say, "You may 
have no other time than now." It is one eternal now 



GOD'S TIME NOW. 319 

with God. This being true, we should make use of this 
opportunity. We are here with the privilege of accept- 
ing him tonight, tomorrow it may be everlastingly too 
late. May you wake up to the fact that it is high time 
that you were getting saved from sin. God has been 
talking to your hearts in this meeting. I want particu- 
larly to dwell on this subject of the importance of seek- 
ing God now. I am afraid some one is going to put it 
off too long. 

A while ago we were singing the song concerning eter- 
nity, that hymn that ought to awaken every lost soul and 
arouse every man and woman who is steeped in sin and 
iniquity, and as I realized that millions will soon be 
in eternity without God, I said, "O Lord, help us to 
do something to save souls." Will it be possible that 
some precious souls will pass through this camp-meet- 
ing, hear the preaching, and leave here unsaved and 
forever seal their destiny in the lost world? It is a 
sad thing to me. Brethren and sisters, I am sure it is 
an awful thing when you think about it, but some of 
your children tonight are lost; some of your friends 
are lost; somebody here tonight is lost. The only thing 
that is keeping them out of hell tonight is the mercy of 
God. I want to say to you that there are some things 
you can not help; one is, you are here, and another is 
you must die and leave here, and that being the case, 
God wants you to accept him and be ready when the 
day comes for you to leave this world. 

I know that people are careless and unconcerned. 
The text in Proverbs said, "He, that being often re- 
proved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, 
and that without remedy." That is a sad thing to 
think about, but it is true nevertheless. God has spoken 
to you many things in his Word. He has held out to 
you many promises and opportunities in this life. God 
has loved man so well that he has hung along his path- 



320 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

way danger-signals to warn him of wrong. God's warn- 
ings have been extended to man to keep him out of 
hell. It is God's loving plan to keep men out of perdi- 
tion. He sent his Son to destroy the works of the devil, 
and he has done everything necessary for him to do to 
keep people out of perdition, but the trouble is, people 
are rejecting him. That is the great danger of our lives. 
People some day expect to be saved. They come to the 
camp-meeting and hear the truth preached, and there is 
something down in their hearts that says, "Sometime I 
am going to be saved and be a Christian; and sometime 
I am going to be one of that holy company and go to 
heaven." But something else says, "Not now; some 
other day will do as well." That is the very thing that 
has caused so many people to lose their souls and go 
to a lost world forever. 

I am glad that I made use of the opportunities God 
gave me before his Spirit left me. I am glad I got 
saved, that I gave my heart to God before I was twenty 
years old and that I am saved tonight. There is joy 
in my life. We were singing a while ago about "the 
waves of devotion"; they have been sweeping over my 
soul since I found salvation in Jesus. 

HARDEN XOT YOUR HEARTS. 

There comes a thought to my heart from the Word 
of God. In Heb. 8: 15 we have this exhortation: "To- 
day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, 
as in the provocation." My friends, you have been 
hearing the voice of God, hearing God talk to you while 
the ministers have stood in this pulpit. It has not been 
altogether man talking to you. God has been speaking 
through the lips of clay, pleading with you to get saved. 
We stand, as it were, in Christ's stead, and pray you 
be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20). People who are 
in sin are still hardening their hearts. I believe that 



GOD'S TIME NOW. 321 

if a man hears the gospel of Christ and rejects it he 
hardens his heart so that he will be harder to reach. 

One time when I was holding a revival-meeting the 
tide of conviction was running high, and men and women 
were weeping for salvation. There stood in our pres- 
ence a dear man under deep conviction, who held on to 
the seat with one hand to keep from falling. God was 
talking to him, and had been for several days. The 
time came when he should have accepted the warning 
of my text, "Behold now is the accepted time, behold 
now is the day of salvation." I said to him, "My 
friend, if I were you I would come now." There were 
others at the altar weeping to get salvation. There was 
something holding him back; the devil was pulling in 
the opposite direction. It was either humble himself 
and get saved or get out of the house. He turned and 
walked down the aisle and said, "I am lost forever." 
My God, help us to see that we shall be eternally lost 
without God and without salvation ! "He, that being 
often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be de- 
stroyed, and that without remedy." 

My dear friends, Jesus Christ is your only remedy 
and only hope. He is the only hope of God's salvation. 
You may try to get through some other way, but there 
is no other way to get you into heaven; you will have to 
come through the blood, and God holds out that hope 
today. Mercy is extended to you now, but some of 
these days Christ will be your judge on the judgment- 
seat, and it will be too late to accept him then. I pray 
the Lord to touch your heart tonight and to help you to 
seek him with all your might before it is too late for 
you. Man can reject him too long. God did not say, 
"I am going to let you have a chance next year." Today. 
It is dangerous to put it off until tomorrow. "Today 
if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in 
the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilder- 



322 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

ness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and 
saw my works forty years. Wherefore, I was grieved 
with that generation." Why? Because they went back 
on God and rejected him. There are many people who 
have known his salvation, many people in this world 
who have enjoyed the loving presence of the Christ of 
God, but have gone back on him; they have sold out 
for something; they have murmured against God until 
they are lost. They hardened their hearts. Poor backslider, 
it is a dangerous condition to be in. Oh, will you not come 
back to Father's house and let him save you before it 
is everlastingly too late? 

Did you know that we were living in a time when the 
devil has succeeded in blinding the minds of the people 
to the real truth? He has bound them up in unbelief 
until they fail to see the danger of procrastination. I 
once knew a young man who failed to see until it was 
too late. I saw him dying without God and heard him 
say, "I must go to hell; I am forever lost." O 
God, wake up lost souls before it is too late, is my 
prayer. 

We holiness preachers down in Kentucky sometimes 
have to use a stump for our pulpit and the shade for 
our covering, because the people do not like the truth. 
One day after I had preached by the roadside, a man 
came up and spoke to me. "People brand me as an in- 
fidel," he said, "but I am not. I tell folks I don't be- 
lieve what is in the Word of God. It is this: If I 
believed it down in my heart like it is, I would be 
saved. I know it is truth and it is real and like God 
said it; yet if I believe it I would be a Christian." 
That is the trouble with a lot of people. They are not 
rank infidels, yet they are full of unbelief, which is 
keeping them out of the kingdom of God. May the Lord 
help us to believe the Word of God. 

God has given us some examples of warning which 



GOD'S TIME NOW. 323 

we might notice, not because they are new, but because 
we wish to convey to your minds the importance of ac- 
cepting Jesus tonight. This is the very time when you 
ought to get saved. I believe this meeting should be a 
salvation-meeting. I believe in these meetings we should 
have many souls saved. You saints pray that God will 
awaken some souls here tonight. Pray God to let the 
words go to their hearts, and that the two-edged Sword 
may pierce their hearts, and break them down under 
conviction, that they may come to the Lord, and be able 
to leave this camp-meeting happy in Jesus. 

"Harden not your hearts as in the provocation." It 
is a dangerous thing for a man to harden his heart. 
God has given us a warning in Gen. 6 : 3 — "And the 
Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man." 
Dear sinner, God meant that. He meant every word 
of it. There is such a thing as God's Spirit leaving you. 
We do not want to excite people, but it is a fact that 
God's Spirit has left people forever. There are people 
in this day and age of the world, in this day of light, 
when God's Word is going forth on all lines, who are 
rejecting him for the last time. God is giving men the 
privilege to behold the manifestation of the power of 
God. The opportunities you enjoy place you under 
great responsibility. Many people are sinning away 
their day of mercy. God is able to reach the lowest 
sinner that ever lived, and if he will quit his ways, he 
will save him, and clean him up and make him a right- 
eous man. God is able and willing to save the harlot, 
if she will forsake her evil ways, and make her a decent, 
respectable woman. God is able to go down in the cess- 
pools of iniquity of every kind. He will save also those 
in the fashionable places of earth. If they will for- 
sake their pride, God will destroy the very desire of 
pride out of their hearts and make them the right kind 
of people, a people that will be an honor to God; but 



324 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

men can reject God too long, can stiffen their necks 
against God. 

DANGER IN TRIFLING WITH GOD. 

When we are in the bloom of life, in the prime of 
womanhood and manhood, is a good time to get to the 
Lord. There are some folks that think they will get 
saved when they come to die. I have been telling peo- 
ple who have been listening to the truth for about ten 
years, that if they wait for a death-bed to get right, I am 
awfully afraid they will be lost. I do not say a man 
can not get saved on his death-bed, but there are very 
few texts in favor of it. God holds out the invitation 
to men to accept him now when they can be of some 
account in his service. We want to wake up to that 
fact, and remember it. When death gets hold upon 
you, when father, mother, and friends are standing 
around your bedside weeping, it may then be eternally 
too late for you to get saved. 

"Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with 
wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he 
shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars 
of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give 
their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, 
and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And 
I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked 
for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of 
the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of 
the terrible." Isa. 13:9-11. Listen tonight to the 
words from the Book of God. He said that he would 
punish the world and the evil. God means that. 

If tonight somebody were to walk out of this pavilion 
and looking into the starry heaven see something wrong 
with the constellations thereof, if the stars should be- 
gin to fall to this earth, men and women would cry and 
weep for mercy. If the moon yonder were becoming 



GOD'S TIME NOW. 325 

bloody, people would fall down in consternation, back- 
sliders would get to business then, and there would be 
no deception about their dealings with God. There is 
coming a day when there will be no deception about it. 
Some day the Son of man will be coming, the constella- 
tion will be giving way, the stars will be coming down, 
the sun will be gone, the moon will be turned into blood, 
the judgment day set, and who will be able to stand? 
God help us so to live that it will be a terror to us. 
There are folks right here tonight, who would be scared 
to death if they saw something wrong with the heavens 
above. May God help you to get salvation so that you 
will be glad to see the Lord come with his holy heavenly 
host. God's saints will be glad to see them coming. We 
shall not be able to stay on the earth any longer, but 
shall fly up to meet him in the air. I want to be in that 
company, not on the side with those who will have to 
weep and wail in the lost world. I pray God to awaken 
you to the fact that if you would dwell with Christ 
above, you must live for him here below. 

"The word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, 
Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true 
judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man 
to his brother. But they refused to harken and pulled 
away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they 
should not hear." Zech. 7 : 8, 9, 11 . To whom is he 
talking? People to whom he had come with his spirit, 
but they refused to harken. That is what people are 
doing tonight. I do not doubt but what, my dear sinner 
friend, if you had been honest with yourself, you would 
have come down to this altar and got saved before now. 
The Lord has talked to you; you refused to harken. 
"They stopped their ears that they should not hear." 
It is not because the Lord is not talking that people do 
not hear; they close their ears to God's voice that they 
will not hear. That is what sinners have done in all 



326 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

the ages of the past, and that is what they are doing 
tonight. "Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant 
stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which 
the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former 
prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord 
of hosts." I am told that an adamant stone is the hardest 
stone we have. It is an awful thing for a man to make 
his heart as an adamant stone. It may be that your 
heart is getting awfully hard, and you can go through a 
camp-meeting without feeling much conviction, you can 
listen to the sermons with your heart so hard that the 
Spirit of God does not touch it. May God help you to 
break up your heart. 

"Lest they should hear the law, and the words which 
the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former 
prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord 
of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass that as he cried, 
and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would 
not hear, saith the Lord of hosts." Many times have we 
been brought face to face with the sad reality of men's 
crying when God would not hear. I had to see some- 
thing like that — to hear men cry out and say, "I am 
lost; I am going to hell." I never want to hear that 
again. It is an awful thing to see a man die without 
God, to see a gray-haired father bend over a dying 
boy and hear him say, "I am lost, and you are the 
cause of it." It is sad for a preacher to put his hand 
under a man's head and have him say, "I am lost; 
pray for me. I am going to hell." I believe people who 
reject God are going there. They may get some preacher 
to preach some kind of an easy religion for them, but 
God's eternal truths are still a reality, will be at the 
judgment-day, and people have got to face them. Now 
is the day of salvation. 

Salvation means something. It means a general fix- 
ing up for heaven. In a community where I lived, a 



GOD'S TIME NOW. 327 

dear old lady got salvation. She did not stop with justi- 
fication, but she went on to the experience of sanctifica- 
tion. She testified to it and shouted the victory in the 
meeting. Some of her boys came to her and said, "We 
don't believe in that sanctification," and she gave it up. 
We went to dine with her one day and she said, "I 
have decided that I will not say anything more about 
my sanctification. It is a wonderful blessing, and I 
am glad that I got it, but I decided not to say any- 
thing about it, but just to live it. I have decided to 
say nothing about it for my boys' sake." "I am afraid 
that you can't keep it that way; that you can't 
honor God that way," I said. But she tried it, and it 
was not long after that she was sick and getting worse. 
In a little while she lost her mind and was a raving 
maniac, and the last words she said were, "I am lost 
without God and without hope." It is a dangerous 
thing for you to trifle with God. Some people esteem it 
a light thing to backslide, a light matter to wander 
. :yay from God and reject his salvation, but I consider 
it a dangerous thing for people to wander back into 
sin. 

God is dealing with you tonight. Will you still 
harden your heart? I remember a man in Illinois who 
got up one time and said, "I would to God I had given 
my heart to him about a year ago. I am sorry that I 
didn't." Tears were streaming down his face and in 
his testimony he further said, "The Lord talked to me 
about a year ago and I felt as though I must get saved, 
but I rejected him and went on in my vocation in the 
world. One day I came in from my work, and our 
darling little girl was scorching with fever; as I looked 
at her, my heart began to break. The Lord God per- 
mitted the death messenger to come, but it wrought my 
salvation. The thing I am sorry for is that I did not 
give my heart to God before. If I had, we might have 



328 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

little Ella with us today." God deals with people that 
way. 

God loves men so well that if the gospel will not 
break their hearts, he resorts to other means; possibly 
he reaches down after a good loving mother, that mother 
who has loved you when you did not think about her, 
prayed for you when you were in the depths of sin. 
The Lord permits the death messenger to lay his hand 
upon her, and you get by her bedside and promise her 
you will meet her in heaven. Will you be true to that 
decision and remember the covenant you made with 
mother and with God? Perhaps there is some one here 
tonight who has made that covenant, yet you are in 
danger of being lost forever, where you will never see 
that sweet face again. The Lord help you tonight to 
carry into effect that covenant, and he will save you. 
Doubtless some of you bent over the little white casket 
and said, "Darling, I will see you here no more, but I 
will meet you in heaven," but you are still in the ways 
of sin. That little child that was not accountable be- 
fore God is in paradise, but if the death messenger 
should come for you, you would not be ready to go. 
Would you like to go where the good and pure go? If 
so, forsake your way and sin and let God save you. 

REJECTED BY GOD. 

In Acts 7:42 we read: "Then God turned and gave 
them up." Who was that do you suppose? It was 
the people who rejected him; people that went back on 
God. Moses, the leader of the people, went on Mt. 
Sinai, where God gave him the law and instruction for 
the people. He was gone so long that the people said 
they did not know what had become of him, and that 
they had no leader." They said to Aaron, "Make for 
us gods." When Moses came down he saw the dancing 
and reveling around the golden calf. They had for- 



GOD'S TIME NOW. 329 

saken the God who had led them out of Egypt and 
through the Red Sea, the God who had been their stay 
and guide by day and night, the God who had clothed 
and fed them. Oh, see them now, dancing around a 
golden calf! God's holy indignation was stirred against 
them and they perished in the wilderness. Paul says 
that these things are for examples to us not to lust after 
evil things as they lusted (1 Cor. 10:6). 

May God help us to see the danger of rejecting the 
Lord. Finally God gave the Israelites up to worship the 
host of heaven. God will today give up men who reject 
him. O my friend, accept him tonight. If you will 
accept him, he will bless you. Soon this camp-meeting 
will be over and we may never see each other's faces 
any more in this present world. Let me exhort you to- 
night to get saved so that you can meet us in that 
great camp-meeting in heaven where there will be no 
parting. When you leave this auditorium at the close 
of this service., it may be too late then to get saved. 
You may never see another opportunity. Will you 
not come tonight, while God extends his mercy to 
you? While he pleads with you by his Spirit, will you 
not let him save you? While I am pleading with you, 
the Son of God is pleading for you. Are you going 
to say no, turn away, and be lost forever? You can 
not afford to do it. It will pay you to become a Chris- 
tian. 

I have looked upon some of you dear young people as 
you walked over this camp ground, some of you whose 
mothers are in glory tonight. I have seen you going 
after this world, your hearts steeped in sin, and I know 
you would like to live like the children of God. It is 
going to be awful for you when you are called to the 
judgment. It is going to be terrible to be turned away 
with all the masses that forget God. You can not af- 
ford to ignore God and his salvation. You walk about 



330 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

in the congregation of the saints of God and feel safe 
because you are surrounded with a holy influence, but 
suddenly you will find yourself stepping out from this 
holy influence and stepping down with the damned in 
a lost world. Think about it. How would you girls like 
to be picked out of the congregation of the saints of 
God and set down in the dives of Chicago among the 
dens of vice? You shudder to think of a place like that 
where you could see nothing but the things of revelry 
and sin. Your heart would break at the thought of be- 
ing locked within prison walls where you would hear 
nothing but cursing and swearing. God bless your soul, 
you would not like anything like that at all. But some 
day, if you still reject God, you will be taken out where 
you will never hear another prayer nor song, nor an- 
other kind word, but you will have to go down among 
the vile creatures of earth; there are only two places 
to go. 

An infidel, when dying, said to his nurse, "I want you 
to bring the Bible to me." She was astonished at his 
words. "Will you curse that Bible in the day of your 
death?" she asked. The room had become so full of 
angels from the dark regions, that the nurse could 
hardly stay in the room. She brought the Bible, ex- 
pecting him to curse the book that he had cursed 
before, but he said, "I want to take the last look at the 
Bible, because there will be no Bibles in hell." 

"Behold now is the day of salvation, behold now is 
the accepted time." We can not promise you tomorrow. 
You do not know that you will be living one hour from 
now. There is not a preacher here who can insure your 
life. In one hour you may be in the throes of death. 
Some would give a thousand worlds for an opportunity 
like this to spend around this altar. Like you they once 
had opportunities but they rejected God. Could they 
come back and have one hour, they would not harden 



GOD'S TIME NOW. 331 

their hearts, but they would say, "Brethren, pray for 
me. I want to get right with God," but it is too late. 
What a word that is to my heart tonight. Too late! 
lost ! TOO LATE ! My friends, can you hear it to- 
night? That is the saddest thing in the world. Too 
late! too late! The Lord help you not to have to 
say that. It is too late for man when the breath leaves 
his body then to get to God. May God help you to 
come now and get saved. Now is the day of salvation; 
now is the accepted time. How awful it would be to go 
to your bedside and hear you say, "Too late! I have 
missed it!" Do not harden your hearts any longer. 
Do not reject him any more. Come tonight when the 
invitation is given. 

I love you and God loves you. Somehow or other the 
Lord has been burdening my heart. Oh, if there is 
anything I do want it is to keep under the burden of lost 
souls. Millions are drifting down to hell. The Lord 
help us to keep interested in them. It may be we do 
not get earnest enough. Dear saints, have you spoken 
to that dear sinner who sat by your side in this camp- 
meeting? Have you taken unsaved ones to one side and 
prayed with them? 

EXHORTATION TO PARENTS. 

Have you been interested as much as you ought to 
in your little children? Have you brought them to- 
gether as often as you should and prayed God to bless 
them ? Have you told them the dangers of this world as 
you ought, and brought them up in the nurture of the 
Lord? Would you be willing tonight to lay your arms 
around that child's neck and say, "I want you to give 
your heart to God," or would you want some brother or 
sister to talk to your boy or girl? You do not know the 
influence you have got, mother. There is nothing like 
it. There is only one power stronger than a mother's 



332 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

love, and that is the love of God. Have you talked to 
that boy or girl in this meeting, or have you sat around 
the fireside and talked about one another and hardened 
their hearts, shook their confidence in the saints of 
God, and drifted them farther from God? Have you 
brought that child around your knees and talked to him 
about the people of God and about their mistakes until 
you have shaken his confidence in God, or have you 
brought him down and talked to him about God's love 
and held up to him the eternal truth that is able to save 
his soul. You used to have them on your knees and you 
trained some of them in the ways of sin; God help you 
to hold them up before the throne of God. 

I thank God tonight for a praying mother. I thank 
God that although I was in sin, I could not sleep on my 
pillow. I would come home when all others were asleep, 
take my shoes off on the outside, but I could hear my 
mother praying, "God have mercy on my boy." Prayer 
simply spoils people for sin. That spoils them for the 
pleasure of this world and it will win them for Christ. 
Father, if you are unsaved, come to Christ. Mother, if 
you are outside of Jesus, come to Christ. 



In the Auditorium, Thursday evening, June 12, by W. J. Henry. 
Following sermon by W. F. Chapel. 

During a revival-meeting last winter, two young men 
were standing in the back part of the meeting-house. 
Both were interested. One was weeping on account of 
his sins. The Spirit of God was melting his heart as 
the beautiful invitation songs were sung. The other 
young man was interested in seeing others saved, but his 
heart was as hard as a stone. While others were weep- 
ing under the power of God his eyes were dry. God's 
spirit was striving with others, but that young man was 
left alone. He turned to the weeping sinner and said to 



GOD'S TIME NOW. 383 

him, "Friend, you had better make the start tonight. I 
once was convicted of my sins like you; once my heart 
was melted by the Spirit of God. I felt my need of sal- 
vation, and something warned me to surrender then; but 
I strove against that conviction, resolved not to surren- 
der to God; and that night the Spirit of God took its 
flight from me, and now for four years it has never 
visited me." He invited the weeping young man to yield 
to the Lord while God was calling for him, and offered 
to accompany him to the altar. So both came down that 
crowded aisle. The one fell at the altar and the other 
stood by and requested the saints to pray for his friend. 

Some one asked him if he did not want to be saved, 
and he said, "Yes, but it is too late. The Spirit of God 
has left me and ceased to draw me. I am a lost man, 
doomed to everlasting despair." A brother asked him 
if we might pray for him. He said, "Yes, but it will do 
no good. You may as well pray for the stove as for me. 
There is no hope for me." We all knelt around him 
(forgetting for the time being the seekers at the altar) 
and earnestly pled with God that if it was possible for 
this man to be saved to restore his Spirit and grant him 
repentance. I shall never forget those earnest prayers 
and the weeping of the saints in his behalf. But all 
was of no avail. Our prayers went no higher thaai oar 
heads. The heavens seemed as brass, the God of mercy 
refused to answer, and that poor, lost, God-forsaken 
man went away unsaved, living ajjd yet dead, realising 
the awful eternity that was before him, and yet without 
the slightest conviction. 

Friends, you have listened to the Word of God to- 
night as it has gone forth in the Spirit's power. The 
awful presence of God is here. Many of you feel your 
need of salvation, and have felt the wooing, melting 
Spirit of God drawing you to him. What are you going 
to do with tkis sermon? How are you going to treat 



334, CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

this invitation? You have an immortal soul that must 
spend its eternity in heaven or in the regions of despair. 
There is coming a time when you will settle for eter- 
nity this all-important subject. You have heard tonight 
that now is the accepted time; now is the day of salva- 
tion. You may have salvation if you will. The past is 
forever behind you, and the future holds out no promise 
for you. Not one in this vast audience tonight knows 
that he will live to see the rising of another sun. God 
only knows the fatal moment when we shall be called 
from time to eternity. Every tick of the clock brings 
you nearer to eternity, and every pulsation of your heart 
brings you nearer your eternal doom. There is coming a 
time when God will call for you the last time; when you 
will hear the last sermon; when you will listen to the 
last invitation, and the Spirit of God will strive with 
you for the last time. And this very night may be that 
last time. Dear sinner, we do not wish to frighten you, 
but as surely as you are here tonight, there is a time 
coming when God's Spirit will cease striving with you. 
"There is a time we know not when, 

A place we know not where, 
That marks the destiny of men 

To glory or despair." 

Your eternal destiny is in your own hand and by the 
act of your own will you will sometime settle and fix 
your eternal fate. You may be saved tonight, or you can 
reject this message of truth, drive away the Spirit of 
God and go down to everlasting woe. If you go to hell 
you will go there of your own choice and in spite of 
all that has been done for you. Jesus died to save you, 
the prayers of the saints are offered in your behalf, and 
your own conscience tells you that you should be saved 
tonight. 

We plead with you in Jesus' name be reconciled to 
God. Seek him while he may be found, call upon him 



GOD'S TIME NOW. 3S5 

while he is near. If you never prayed, pray tonight. 
You are drawing nearer to the grave, the judgment, and 
eternity. 

Again we say there is a time coming when God's Spirit 
will cease to strive with you. The Word of God de- 
clares that if you reject him he will reject you. Sinner, 
seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him 
while he is near. 

Oh, how near God is to this audience tonight. His 
Spirit is striving with you. He seeks to save you. He 
is ready to save you now. All heaven is looking down 
upon your poor lost soul to see how you will decide the 
question. Demons are trying to get you to put it off till 
some other time. Sinner,, make your way to Christ to- 
night. We exhort you in the name of Jesus to be recon- 
ciled to God before your eternal destiny is sealed. - While 
you have the opportunity give your heart to God tonight. 



336 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

They So Spake. 

Address to Ministers in Chapel, Friday morning, June 13, 
by H. M. Riggrle. 

The text for the basis of my remarks you will find in 
Acts 14:1 — "And it came to pass in Iconium, that they 
went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and 
so spake that a great multitude both of the Jews and also 
of the Greeks believed." 

They so spake, that a great multitude believed. The 
manner in which they delivered their message had much 
to do with the people's accepting it. It is not enough 
simply to preach the truth to the multitudes about us, 
but in order to win and save them, we must preach it 
in the spirit of wisdom and power. I presume all of us 
have at times felt the need of more efficiency in the 
work. We have felt a great lack in accomplishing all 
the good that we might. The burden of this morning's 
message is to present some helpful thoughts along this 
line. I believe that if we as ministers learn the truths 
that I wish to present and make them real in our lives, 
we will see more definite results and fruits from our 
labors. This address is part of a sermon that I preached 
to my home assembly. 

THREE NATURES. 

All men possess an intellectual, a moral, and an emo- 
tional nature. Some people are stronger in one, and 
some are stronger in another. There are people who 
are of strong intellectual temperament; others are of 
strong moral temperament; and still others are largely 
emotional. You know there are people who are very 
emotional in their make-up, and others are not. We see 
this in the unregenerate world, in the church, and it is 
true of us ministers. 

We can not help but recognize the fact as we sit and 
listen to the preaching of the different brethren. We 



THEY SO SPAKE. 337 

all preach the same truth. We all see eye to eye. When 
it comes to the fundamental principles of the gospel there 
is no difference. And yet there is a great difference in 
the manner in which we present these principles. For 
example, if all the brethren in the ministry were to 
preach on the subject of sanctification, there would be 
no disagreement in doctrine, but there would be quite 
a difference in the way they present it. There are some 
brethren that would present it more from an intellectual 
standpoint, and it would appeal to people of an in- 
tellectual temperament. They would get the doctrine 
of sanctification very clear, but there would be little 
demonstration. Another brother of an emotional temper- 
ament, would have shouts and praises to God from all 
over the congregation. You will notice in this camp- 
meeting, as well as in any meeting, that some preachers 
hold the audience spell-bound, by their logical arguments, 
and many people get wonderfully edified because the 
preaching is on the intellectual line; but at the same 
time there is another class of people in the congregation 
who receive little help from the sermon because it is too 
high for them. To them it is a dry sermon. But when 
one of the emotional brethren takes the pulpit to preach, 
and begins to leap and shout, that class of people are 
greatly benefited. Their souls are fed and edified, while 
the deep thinkers, those more of an intellectual tempera- 
ment, say, "I can get very little good out of that. If 
you subtract the emotional part of that man's discourse, 
there will be little left." Why is this? I answer, It is 
because some people are stronger in the intellectual and 
others stronger in the emotional. During some preacher's 
discourses, even when real good, edifying, and anointed 
by the Spirit of God, you will hardly hear an amen. 
Another preacher gets up, and from the very time he 
reaches the pulpit a part of the congregation shout and 
praise God. That brings out my thought. 



338 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Man possesses an emotional, a moral, and an in- 
tellectual temperament. Some are stronger in one and 
some are stronger in another. Some are very deficient 
in one and stronger in the other. God himself appeals 
to man through their temperaments. He appeals to man 
first through the intellect. He presents himself as the 
Creator, and we his offspring; hence, we ought to serve 
him. We belong to him by creative right. That is the 
appeal that Paul made at Mars Hill. He said, "We are 
the offspring of God." Since we are the offspring of 
God, the creature, and he the creator, we are created 
to serve him, and we are under obligation to serve 
him. 

God also appeals to man's moral nature. We are 
under obligation to serve him as the divine lawgiver, 
because he placed us under law and we should obey him. 
His righteousness and holiness appeal to us as the 
standard to measure to. True happiness can be realized 
only in our attaining to this moral state and condition. 
Man never finds his true element and his proper en- 
vironment in life, until he attains to the righteousness 
and holiness of God. Holiness of heart and life is God's 
demand. The opposite of this is sin. Happiness in 
time and eternity is dependent upon our obedience to the 
law of God; and misery in time and eternity depends 
upon man's disobedience to the law of God. So God ap- 
peals to man through his moral nature. 

God appeals to man, not only through his intellectual 
and his moral nature, but also through his emotional 
nature. God's goodness, love, and mercy appeal to the 
emotional in man. The Bible says, "We love him because 
he first loved us." It was his love that won our hearts 
to him. "The goodness of God leadeth thee to re- 
pentance." Infinite mercy God uses to bring us as 
humble suppliants to the feet of Jesus for salvation. His 
mercy wins our hearts. 



THEY SO SPAKE. 339 

I shall give you a mere outline, mere seed germs of 
thought which you can develop yourself. I shall dwell 
a little more fully on how God appeals to men through 
their natures. 

APPEAL TO THE INTELLECTUAL, NATURE. 

Whenever the gospel is preached in all its purity and 
presented in an intelligent manner, it will set men to 
thinking. When the message was presented to King 
Agrippa, he began to think. When Paul stood boldly 
on Mars Hill and declared the wonderful message of 
truth, his speech was a monument of intellectuality. It 
appealed to men and started them to thinking. That is 
what the truth is intended to do. I believe that the 
gospel of Jesus Christ will appeal to all men, from 
the king on his throne to the beggar in the street. In 
fact, if there is anything in the world that ought to 
start a man to thinking, it is the Word of God — the 
gospel of Jesus Christ. It is applicable to all men, in 
all stations and conditions of life. Paul believed that 
kings could get saved. Why did he stand before King 
Agrippa and present to him the message of gospel truth? 
Because he desired his salvation. The king replied, 
"Almost thou persuadest me to become a Christian." 
Persuasion is the result of good, sound, logical, scriptural 
argument; and that must be based upon facts and truth 
in order to be effectual. When Paul stood before King 
Agrippa, he had an intelligent message to deliver. You 
and I should be so well versed in this gospel truth, and 
should be such able ministers of the New Testament, that 
we can stand before the highest of earth, or the lowest, 
and present the glorious message of salvation in a way 
that will start men to thinking, in a way that will attract 
attention. You study the gospel from beginning to end 
and you find it is an intelligent message. We should 
present it in an intelligent way. 



340 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

APPEAL TO THE MORAL NATURE. 

Not only does the gospel appeal to man's intellec- 
tuality, but it will waken the sleeping conscience. It 
will not only start men to thinking, but it will awaken 
the inner soul. There is something about the gospel 
of Jesus Christ that will stir the very depths of the 
moral in man. It will reveal the guilt of man in his 
lost condition, and it will show the way out. It will 
present a life of righteousness that is far better than 
a life of sin. The gospel pictures to men the depths 
of sin, and its final doom. It also pictures the 
joy, glory, pleasure, peace, and happiness of a Chris- 
tian life in this world, and the glory of heaven here- 
after. 

A preacher may deliver a sermon that will appeal to 
the intelligence of man, but if he lacks the moral quality, 
or the emotional, while he sets men to thinking, by 
appealing to their minds, he will lack in bringing them 
under real heart conviction, which is so essential to their 
salvation. On the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached, 
men were pricked in their hearts. It is not enough to 
appeal to their intelligence, but we need to get men 
under moral conviction. A man might give a very beauti- 
ful discourse, that naturally would appeal to the in- 
tellectual, full of good reason and logic, but oh, the 
lack of that moral appeal and the real emotional appeal 
that touches the feelings of men and brings them to 
the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Under intellectual 
preaching in which the other is lacking you find people 
coming to the altar convinced in their minds, but with 
very little conviction of heart. Such people can not weep 
over their sins. They will go through a formal consecra- 
tion, and leave the altar with no change of heart. 
People say, "I have met the conditions but I do not feel 
any change." Their hearts need to be reached. We 
should not only appeal to their intelligence but also 



THEY SO SPAKE. 341 

appeal to their hearts. It takes the moral and emotional 
to do that. 

On the other hand, you might have lots of emotion, 
you might jump, shout and weep, and make a wonderful 
demonstration, but if your message is not intelligent and 
contains little food for thought, it will amount practically 
to nothing. An emotional brother may shout with you; 
but when it is over, who is edified? The preacher needs 
to do something more than shout. He should have a 
message that appeals to men and women who are 
capable of thinking. The more intelligent the message 
that we present the more our congregation will be able to 
think. They will be trained up to comprehend truths. 
I pray God to help us feel that. But the emotional is 
also highly important. 

NECESSITY OP STUDY. 

Paul said, "Give thyself to reading." "Study to show 
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not 
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 
Brethren and sisters, we as ministers of the gospel 
ought to be studious. Too many preachers do not study 
to get into the truths of the Bible as they should. They 
have their list of old sermons that they have been preach- 
ing for twenty years, and in a couple of weeks' time 
they are preached out. Then they take their book-box 
and go somewhere else. People say, "Brother stay." 
Why does he not stay? He is preached out. He ran to 
his end. 

I am not criticising, but I feel like stirring up the 
brethren. This may be my last message to you during 
this meeting, and I trust you will get this lesson which 
God wants you to have. I have had this on my mind for 
six months, for this meeting. We as ministers of God 
need to be studious. "Give thyself to reading." When 
you read the Word of God, ask God to give you light and 



342 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

understanding that you may be able to explain its con- 
tents. What is preaching? It is expounding the Word 
of God. Many people come to us and say, What does 
this text mean? You should be able to tell them. That 
is our business. 

We should carefully study the Word of God, and it 
takes prayerful study, too. We should consider under 
what conditions certain things were spoken; what were 
the circumstances which led up to such a declaration. 
Why was it spoken? What application was made of it 
at that time, and what can we get out of it today? 
It is applicable to us in some sense. Whether we use 
one text or twentjr, we should see to it that we really 
edify the church. Some brethren prefer to use many 
texts, and some only one. It does not matter whether 
you use one or many, but one thing does matter: we 
should be able to explain and expound the Word of God. 

When we arrange and prepare our sermons we should 
take much pains and labor. "Oh," says one, "I never 
prepare anything." But it would be a good thing if you 
did. Some say, "I just get up and say what comes to 
my mind. If that is your gift, all right, but do not 
criticise other brethren who do study and make prepara- 
tion. Those who take time to labor and study and ask 
God to help them to arrange a message that will appeal 
to men, are most successful in their ministry. Their 
fruits show this. If you are one of those fellows who 
naturally have it on the end of their tongue, who can 
tell a great deal without any preparation, I will not 
criticise your method, but I believe you would be more 
successful if you would give more attention to earnest, 
prayerful study. The Bible says, "Open your mouth 
and I will fill it." The Lord fills the man who looks 
to him for wisdom and help, and yet prepares his line of 
thought, and presents it in an intelligent way, just as 
much as he helps the other one. He anoints and in- 



THEY SO SPAKE. 343 

spires in the delivery. I do believe in the preparation 
of our sermons; I believe that they should be arranged 
in a way that will appeal to men and will be edifying. 

When you preach on sanctification, preach sanctifica- 
tion. When you preach on the church, sanctification, 
divine healing, fall of Babylon, "come out of her my 
people," growth in grace, and false teachers, all in 
one sermon, by the time you get through, who can 
remember what you have said? To just get up and 
preach it all out in one discourse, there is nothing edify- 
ing in the like of that. Let us remember, brethren, if 
we preach a subject, we should stick to our line of 
thought. I would rather get one good thought to a con- 
gregation than to present a hundred in a disconnected 
way. 

Let us properly develop our thoughts. "Well," says 
one, "I do not have the ability to do that." Ask God to 
help you. When I started out in the ministry, I was 
young, and did not have the help of older brethren. 
Not having as much training as young ministers have 
today, I had to dig and work hard for the truths I 
preached to others. I went to meeting many times hardly 
knowing what to preach. We held weeks and weeks of 
meetings in one place. Big churches were raised up. 
J tell you I got a great deal of schooling on my knees. 
I had to dig. There was no other way out. Like 
Brother Cole said, we early preachers were "pick-ups," 
and we had to dig. I used to dig and dig. I do yet. 
I used to go before God and ask for help to preach that 
night, and the Lord would give me an intelligent mes- 
sage to deliver. By depending upon the Holy Spirit 
and doing what I could, the Lord helped me out. I 
learned by that the need of preparation, the need of 
our making a study of the Bible. We ought to read 
that book and study it, not to see how many times we 
can read it through, but ask God to enlighten us from 



344 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

it, and to give us that gift and wisdom that will enable 
us to present its truths in an intelligent way. Then we 
will never run out of subjects and themes to preach. 
If we preach the same sermon over it will get old. One 
fellow did that, and the people said, "What is the matter 
with you? Can't you preach any other sermon?" He 
said, "When you measure to that one, you will get an- 
other." That may do sometimes. But I have learned, 
that as you keep studying the Bible and looking to God 
earnestly, new truths will open up from the same text. 
I believe that a preacher who will give himself to study- 
ing the Word of God and will live much in prayer, can 
preach in a place fifty years, can deliver 10,000 sermons, 
and never run out of a subject, but always have a mes- 
sage good and fresh that will appeal to the people. 
That is not only true of the pastor, but of the evange- 
list. 

There is a tendency among us, if we are not careful, 
to go to extremes. In the sects they school their preach- 
ers, and if we are not careful we will go to the other 
extreme by discouraging diligent study of the Word of 
God, and just think it is a hit-or-miss affair, so that no- 
body gets edified. If there is a class of men and women 
on earth that ought to have intelligent messages to de- 
liver, that will appeal to people everywhere, it is this 
holy ministry. We do not need to be afraid of being too 
studious when it comes to searching out the blessed truths 
of the Bible. We ought to know about Bible construc- 
tion; its origin, language, canon, symbols, inspiration, 
plan, science, etc. We ought to know something about 
this good old book we preach from. It is our privilege 
to know. We need not be ignorant. Let us know the 
Bible better than any other book in the world. 

THE EMOTIONAL NATURE. 

"He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious 



THEY SO SPAKE. 345 

seed^ shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bring- 
ing sheaves with him." Brethren, this weeping is neces- 
sary. This is where we greatly lack. There have been 
a number of times in my ministry when I have stepped 
into the pulpit, and broken out in weeping, and it so 
melted the people that they came weeping in large num- 
bers to the altar for salvation. There needs to be more 
of that. There are too many dry-eyed sermons today. 
Paul says, "I ceased not to warn you in tears." When 
we present the message of truth, I do not care how radi- 
cal it is, if we present it in wisdom, with that inner 
feeling, the weeping spirit of Jesus Christ, it will touch 
people's hearts, and in nine cases out of ten will win 
them. If you cultivate that stern way of preaching, cut- 
ting right and left, you will not win many people. 

There is a dear brother here today who attended a 
camp-meeting here a few years ago. He had preached 
three years in the Methodist denomination. If we had 
treated him in that cold way, he would never have got- 
ten out. But the brethren took an interest in him, and 
in tears we told him the right way. We did not try to 
thrash him with the truth, but we told him the better way. 
We used wisdom and by the help of God so spake, that he 
was won to the whole truth, and now is an active minis- 
ter of the church of God. That spirit of kindness 
touched him, and he was won for God. 

I have in mind another preacher, who, when he first 
came to our meetings, expected that we were a people 
that would thrash and abuse him; but we manifested 
such love to him that he was brought out of the sect. 
Love is the thing necessary. That is not compromise. 
When we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, whether in 
our local assembly or in the evangelistic field, we need 
the melting, weeping spirit of Christ. We need our feel- 
ings in the matter. We need to ask God more and more 
to melt our hearts for the work. 



346 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

I feel like exhorting all this morning (I include 
myself) to seek God for development in the intel- 
lectual, and in the moral, and in the emotional, 
that we may be more effectual in our ministry. If 
you are a pastor, and talk to your congregation 
with tears running down your cheeks, you will not 
have any trouble in getting and keeping the congregation 
straight. You must be kind, tender-hearted, preach in 
love and authority, but with long-suffering. Your words 
must be seasoned with the meekness, gentleness, and 
sweetness of Jesus; and that melting spirit in our hearts 
will touch others. I trust you will be able to develop 
and apply these thoughts for the glory of God, and for 
the good of the ministry. 



MISSIONARY SERMON. 347 

Missionary Sermon. 

In the Auditorium, Friday morning, June 13, 
by Jennie M. Byers. 

I do not know a better text with which to begin a mis- 
sionary discourse than John 3:16: "For God so loved 
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who- 
soever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever- 
lasting life." 

God gave the best gift of heaven. Jesus Christ in turn 
gave himself. As we gcc the message of salvation into 
our hearts, we in turn give ourselves. We do not ques- 
tion; we do not say where or when or how or anything 
of the kind; we just say, "Lord, here is thy servant." 
You know, we are liable to get into trouble if we ques- 
tion and dictate or speak back to the Lord. The Lord 
knows us better than we know ourselves, and he knows 
best what he can do with us. If we fail to see any ca- 
pacity that we have, perhaps he sees he can develop 
something that lies undeveloped. When the grace of 
God is applied to the heart, God can do wonderful things. 
It is a privilege to just yield our all to God. 

I am glad to be with you on this missionary day. 
This is the first time that we have ever been in the An- 
derson camp-meeting, and I praise God for the oppor- 
tunity. I was thinking this morning of our dear breth- 
ren and sisters that are in other places, how they would 
like to be with us, not only those in the United States, 
but those in the foreign countries. Oh, what would they 
not give for the privilege of sitting in this audience this 
morning? The different ones in Africa, Australia, 
Japan, China, and India, as they read about these meet- 
ings, will say, "If I only could have been there!" Let 
us appreciate our privileges. Let us realize that these 
are real privileges that we have, and also that we are 
going to be responsible for what we have heard in these 



348 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

meetings. May the Spirit of God so sink the truths down 
into our hearts, that whether we are ministers or not, we 
may live them and give them out to those around us 
wherever we go. 

HOW WE MAY BE MISSIONARIES. 

Those who go to foreign fields are not the only mis- 
sionaries. Every one that has received the Holy Spirit 
should be a missionary. The Holy Spirit is a missionary 
spirit, and I do not believe that there is one of us that 
has the Holy Spirit reigning in our hearts but has a mis- 
sionary spirit; and while we may not be able to go to 
the foreign lands and preach the gospel, yet every one of 
us has an influence, and every one of us has a field in 
which we can be useful in some way or other. If we 
have this spirit we will feel like one of old who said, 
"But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut 
up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I 
could not stay." We will be glad to give out what he 
puts in and it will show something done in our com- 
munity, no difference where we live. 

We need not say we can not preach. Look at the lit- 
erature we have. Look at the books, the tracts, the 
papers. If we can not talk, then we can give the litera- 
ture out, and so there are none of us that are without 
excuse. Every one of us can find something to do. If 
we can not talk, we can give the literature. If we can 
not go, we can send. If we can not send, we can pray. 
There are many today that are needing prayers more 
than anything else. The dear workers and missionaries 
in the different fields are in need of our faith and prayers, 
and the prayers of the saints will count more than any- 
thing else. Sometimes when we go into a new field and 
are battling with the powers of darkness, we realize that 
some one is praying for us. Brethren and sisters, let us 
live such holy lives that we may always have the confi- 



MISSIONARY SERMON. 349 

dence of our congregations, that when we go into the 
work of the Lord we can be held up by faith and prayer. 
Then when the time comes to bring in the sheaves, we 
may all have a part. Both they that preach and they 
that pray may share in the harvest of souls. In this way 
all may have a part in this wonderful work of God. 

I am glad this morning that God has given me his 
Holy Spirit, and that he has called me into his gospel 
work. I have never had it in my heart to turn back, for 
we know what is written of those who turn back. If we 
have our hearts open and have the Holy Spirit within, 
it is wonderful what can be accomplished through his 
living out his life within us. 

People ask us, "Why don't you go to India or Japan, 
or here or there?" We say we went to our foreign field 
twenty-three years ago. We did not know a soul on the 
Pacific Coast, when we went there, and today it would be 
easier for me to go to any of the foreign fields than it 
was then to go to California. They would not seem 
nearly so far away as California seemed then. When 
we went by ourselves with our little family and did not 
know a soul there and no one to our knowledge knew 
about us and our work, I tell you, it was to us a for- 
eign field. If God should say go to some foreign field, 
I could say, "Here am I, send me." But until God as- 
sures our hearts that we should go, we will stay in the 
field to which he has called us. 

When we went on our missionary journey it seemed 
as though we were leaving everything that was dear to 
us in this world. We went on this promise: "Lo, I am 
with you alway, even unto the end of the world." And 
then the Holy Spirit would assure us that heaven is just as 
near from California as it is from Illinois. The Lord 
comforted our hearts and assured us that he was with us ; 
and the same promise is for us this morning. 

We will turn to the last chapter of Matthew and read: 



350 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things what- 
soever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you 
alway, even unto the end of the world." 

Brethren and sisters, if God is calling you this morn- 
ing, respond by saying, "Yea, Lord." Let him take care 
of the different things that will loom up before you: the 
dangers, the disadvantages, and all these things. Only 
do not say, "I am not capable"; for he is. Certainly 
you are not. None of us are. Let us read in Corinthians 
what kind of people he calls: "For ye see your calling, 
brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, 
not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God 
hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound 
the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the 
world to confound the things that are mighty; and base 
things of the world, and things which are despised, hath 
God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring 
to nought things that are." Well, Lord, why do you do 
this? "That no flesh shall glory in his presence. But 
of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto 
us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and re- 
demption: that, according as it is written, He that glori- 
eth, let him glory in the Lord." So then, if it is the 
gift of God, the qualification given from God, who can 
glory ? No one, but as it is written "He that glorieth, let 
him glory in the Lord." I praise God that he knows the 
different kinds of people or perhaps not many of us 
would be called. He does not often go into the higher 
walks of life, but comes to the common people, as we 
see the apostles and prophets were. We remember Elijah 
at the plow. The prophets were in the common, ordinary 
walks of life, and God called them into his vineyard and 
made out of them just what they were. 

We need to be qualified for our work. When Jesus 



MISSIONARY SERMON. 351 

was here, he called his disciples and sent them out, giv- 
ing them the commission to a lost world. He went with 
them and before them, but finally left them, saying: "It 
is expedient for you that I go away; but if I go away, I 
will send the comforter to you." Praise God, he did. 
He also commanded them to wait for the power of the 
comforter. Brethren and sisters, we see in the sects 
today people that are going out without this power and 
anointing. They fail every time, so far as the work of 
God is concerned. They may build up something of 
themselves, but they can not build up the church of 
God. Jesus said, 'I am going away, but you tarry until 
you are endued with the Spirit from on high.' They 
obeyed, assembled together and waited for the Spirit, 
which is the power. We read that after they had waited 
the sufficient number of days, the Spirit and power of 
God came on their hearts and anointed them and pre- 
pared them for the work that he had for them to do. 
It is just as necessary today for us to be anointed with 
the power of the Holy Spirit as it was at that time; it is 
just as necessary for the missionaries or the gospel work- 
ers anywhere and everywhere to be anointed with this 
power ; not only to be anointed for special occasions, but 
to walk in this power, to be filled with this power, and 
to act and live in this power. 

WHO ARE CALLED. 

We will look at a few examples and see who those 
are that are called to the gospel work. We shall see how 
any of us in our different circumstances can work for 
God. There is no telling what God will do for us if 
we live in the order of God, in the very center of his 
will. God today is hunting out missionaries and work- 
ers. God's purpose is that the church of God shall 
evangelize the world. We ought to praise the Lord that 
through the new birth we are in the church today, and 



352 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

that we have the eternal amen in our souls and can say, 
"Lord, I am ready for any good word and work. Here 
am I, send me." Let us keep our own desires and ideas 
out. If it had not been for my yielding to God I never 
would have gone into the gospel work. If I had looked 
at myself, my lack of ability and qualification, I would 
have been unable for the work; but it is by the ability 
and qualifications he gives that we accomplish God's de- 
sign. God wants willing, honest hearts; he wants pure, 
clean hearts. He wants to get into the very center of our 
lives so that he may rule our entire work and life. 

I shall read in the 6th chapter of Isaiah: "In the 
year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting 
upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled 
the temple." If Isaiah had been a wicked man, do you 
think he would have seen this vision? We must live 
very close to the Lord if we want God to talk to our 
souls and use us to his glory and for his purpose. 

"Above it stood the seraphims : each one had six wings ; 
with twain he covered his face, and with twain he cov- 
ered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried 
unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of 
hosts : the whole earth is full of his glory." Do you ever 
see his glory? Do you ever feel it? Are you ever over- 
shadowed with his glory? This old prophet said the 
whole earth was filled with his glory. I praise God this 
morning for the glory of God. I praise God that I have 
felt it, and that he gives to us of his glory. 

"And the posts of the door moved at the voice of 
him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke." 
Ah, here something inanimate moves at the voice of God. 
We surely ought to move. We ought to stand in solem- 
nity. We ought to have enough of the power of God in 
our hearts that no difference what God says, we will 
stand in awe and fear, and say, "Lord, thou knowest 
best." When I consider others who are so much bet- 



MISSIONARY SERMON. S58 

ter prepared and have a wider experience in all these 
things, I might say, "Lord, I can not do it"; but the 
fear of God being on my heart, I say, "Yes, Lord." 

He, Isaiah, continues, "Then said I, Woe is me! for 
I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and 
I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips : for mine 
eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." It is only 
as the glory of God is shed around about us, filling us, 
and emanating from us because of Christ in us — it is 
only then that people see their vileness and their un- 
cleanness, and only then that they will feel like coming 
to the Lord. Isaiah knew about the sin and degrada- 
tion of his people, and he felt that it was time for the 
people to be delivered from sin and serve God; there- 
fore he said, "I dwell in the midst of a people of un- 
clean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord 
of hosts." 

"Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a 
live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs 
from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and 
said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine in- 
iquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard 
the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and 
who will go for us ? Then said I, Here am I ; send me." 
It is when we get filled with the glory of God, when we 
see the king in all his majesty, and sinners going down 
to destruction and nobody going to rescue them, that we, 
like this old prophet, will say, "Lord, here am I; send 
me." That is the way the Holy Spirit works. 

Was Isaiah accepted? "And he said, Go, and tell 
this people." GO! Have you ever heard the word 
GO in your soul? When you hear it in the soul, you are 
only too glad to go. "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye 
indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but per- 
ceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make 
their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with 



354, CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with 
their heart, and convert, and be healed." It is sad, 
dear friends, when the people around us come to this 
condition where God says, Let their eyes be closed and 
and let their ears be heavy. Oh, that we may avail 
ourselves of the opportunity of saving them before this 
time comes ! When people will not listen, will not hear 
the voice of God when he has called repeatedly and con- 
tinually, the time comes when God closes their eyes; he 
closes their ears. Why? Because first they closed their 
own eyes, they closed their own ears, and so the time 
comes when God just says, Let them be closed. 

God may be calling some of us to go and do some- 
thing for him and rescue perishing souls. We think 
we must stay at home, we can not go away; we want to 
keep our children around our own fireside; we love them 
too much. Do you love your children more than you love 
God ? God so loved the world that he gave the best 
treasure of heaven. We ought to be thankful if we 
have something to give. Had I hundreds of lives, every 
one of them should be yielded to God. I would say that 
the children are on the altar. They all belong to thee, 
Lord. We love our children, but we should love God 
more. Concerning everything that we have we ought to 
say, "Lord, take it," before the time comes when God 
is going to permit men's eyes and ears to be closed. 

And another thing, we ought to listen while God is call- 
ing us. The time may come when he may cease to call, may 
let some one else go in our place and get the reward. I 
do not know what the result may be, but it is a serious 
thing to fall into the hands of a living God. It is a 
serious thing to be called into the vineyard of God and 
not obey the call. If I am talking to any one that has 
the call of God on his heart, no difference to what field, 
I say, go. I know it means a real consecration, a real 
dedication, but God is able to help you. Before I was 



MISSIONARY SERMON. 355 

willing to leave father, mother, friends, relatives, broth- 
ers and sisters and go off to a land that we knew noth- 
ing about, it took my very life. We read about some in 
the Bible that did not love their lives even unto death; 
neither must you and I. We must be willing to go and 
expect God to take care of the results. 

I have thought so much since here, how glad I am that 
we obeyed God. We come back here now and go to our old 
neighborhood. Father and mother have gone to heaven; 
the congregation is broken up; many have moved away; 
and we can go to the cemetery and visit the graves of 
our friends. If we had stayed, we might be in our 
graves also. When we left home for the work, the Lord 
gave us the promise in Joshua: "Every place that the 
sole of your foot shall tread upon that have I given unto 
you." So we could go up and down that coast and claim 
every foot of ground, and today we have brothers and 
sisters all along the coast. God assured me the last Sun- 
day, before we left for the work, "I will give you a hun- 
dred fold." Brethren and sisters, God is giving us a 
hundred fold. Not only so, but since then he has given 
us father and mother in Israel, and now, that we have 
grown out of our babyhood, he makes us father and 
mother in Israel. 

Sometime ago when I was realizing that we were 
growing older and that there were younger ones coming 
into the church who needed care and attention, this 
thought in the second chapter of Titus came to me : "The 
aged women likewise." There is something for all to 
do. The aged men are to be sober ; but this came to me, 
"The aged women likewise." "That they be in behavior 
as becometh holiness." Well, I realized that meant me. 
I was getting older and God wanted me to be an ex- 
ample, wanted me to be a pattern; not only so, but he 
wanted me to teach the younger women likewise. I 
could not be a young woman any more; I was getting 



356 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

older and now I should "teach the younger women to be 
sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to 
be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to 
their own husbands, that the word of God be not blas- 
phemed." Brethren and sisters, I have had to have 
mothers in Israel, and I am glad today that God has let 
me live that I can be a mother in Israel. 

God has put in our hearts a care for all his church, 
especially the young people. We covet them for God. 
Not only that, but we covet them for the work. And the 
children that are growing up; oh, how anxious we are 
that they may be brought up in the nurture and admoni- 
tion of the Lord, that they may fill some of the places 
that are soon going to be left vacant. God is calling 
his children today. If we older ones are not going to 
respond to the call of God he may pick up some of these 
children. 

Let us turn to Jeremiah and see how he was called. In 
the first chapter of Jeremiah and 4th verse, "Then the 
word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed 
thee I knew thee; and before thou earnest forth I sancti- 
fied thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the na- 
tions." Did God say that to some of us? Did he call 
some of our children before we held them in our arms? 
If he did, we had better let them go. If we do not he 
may take them before their time. We may never have 
them. We have an example of Jacob's mother who was 
so anxious for Jacob that he should receive all his heart's 
desire. He got it, but they got something else; poor 
Jacob had to go away from his mother and never came 
back until the mother was gone into eternity. God is 
ruler over all and it behooves us to say amen to God. 
God said to Jeremiah, "I ordained thee a prophet unto 
the nations." Then said Jeremiah: "Ah, Lord God! be- 
hold, I can not speak: for I am a child." How natural 
it is to talk that way to God! If the fear of God were 



MISSIONARY SERMON. 357 

on our hearts as it ought to be, and if we realized this 
fear when God talks to us, we would say, "Lord, thou 
knowest." 

"But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: 
for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and what- 
soever I command thee thou shalt speak." How easy and 
simple ! I have often thought it is no wonder God calls 
the common people, because he makes the preaching so 
easy for them. He simply says, Preach the Word. We 
can all read the Word, and he says he is more willing to 
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask, than we are to 
give good gifts to our children. Does not he make it 
simple and easy? All we have to do is to yield our- 
selves and he does the rest. 

God continued speaking to Jeremiah: "Be not afraid 
of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith 
the Lord." There is only one thing we ought to be 
afraid of, and that is God. "Then the Lord put forth 
his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said 
unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 
See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over 
the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to de- 
stroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." Throw 
down all the power of the enemy and built up the things 
of God. 

We will also read the seventeenth verse : "Thou there- 
fore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them 
all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, 
lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have 
made thee this day a defensed city." Well, who can get 
into a defensed city? Let us turn to the fiftieth chapter 
of Isaiah. There we find a thought on this same line. 
Beginning in the fourth verse we read, "The Lord God 
hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should 
know how to speak a word in season to him that is 
weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth 



358 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

mine ear to hear as the learned." We are to speak his 
word, and if we have anything to speak, he is going to tell 
us how to speak the word to the weary at the right time, 
on the proper occasion. And he said he would wake us 
in the morning, and talk to us before anybody else could 
talk to us. Did you ever have that experience? "The 
Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, 
neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smit- 
ers, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: 
I hid not my face from shame and spitting." "For the 
Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be con- 
founded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and 

1 know that I shall not be ashamed. * * * Behold, the 
Lord God will help me. "Ought not these promises to en- 
courage us? 

OTHER EXAMPLES. 

Now we will try to contrast these two missionaries with 
one who did not have the work of God on his heart. 
You know who he was ? He was called on a mission but 
failed to see anything but himself. The Lord told him 
to go to a wicked city to preach to the people and try 
to deliver them. But Jonah did not want to go. Instead 
of going, he ran the other way. But the Lord followed 
him up and he prepared a fish and the fish had to take 
him part way. It was through the fish that Jonah got 
to Nineveh and did the work of the Lord. After Jonah 
was called, he still loved himself and complained against 
God and heaven. When the sun was a little hot, it made 
him weary. When God saved that great city, he com- 
plained. Do not let us be like Jonah. Do like the 
mother of Jesus said, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, 
do it." 

There is another missionary. A little girl mentioned in 

2 Kings 5:2, 3. I would like to show that a little 
child may be a missionary. Here we read of Naaman. 
He was a great man; he was king of Syria, but he was a 



MISSIONARY SERMON. 359 

leper. "The Syrians had gone out by companies, and 
had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a lit- 
tle maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she 
said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with 
the prophet that is in Samaria ! for he would recover him 
of his leprosy." You see how a little child can be a 
missionary. This little child out there in the heathen 
land said, "Would God my lord were with the prophet 
that is in Samaria." What could he do? "He would 
recover him of his leprosy." Naaman went and received 
help and got the blessing from the Lord. In the 15th 
verse of the 5th chapter, we read the result of this testi- 
mony of the little girl: "And he returned to the man 
of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood 
before him : and he said, Behold, now I know that there 
is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; now therefore, 
I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant." Possibly 
a preacher could not have done more than this little 
child did. She told about the power of God to heal, and 
when the man was healed, he acknowledged the power 
of God. 

Daniel talked to the king; he was not afraid to go to 
the lions' den; and by standing true to God the victory 
was won and God was magnified. Hear what the king 
says concerning the God of Daniel. "The king spake 
and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, 
is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to de- 
liver thee from the lions?" 

The three Hebrew children told about God by going 
through the fiery furnace. They had to say, We will not 
worship your God, and we are not careful to answer you 
in this matter. The God that we serve is able to de- 
liver us and even though he does not deliver us, we are 
not going to serve your God. By their standing true to 
their God they could show to the king the God of heaven ; 
for God showed his power. The fire did not hurt them. 



£60 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

If we go through the fire, we will come out refined, and 
it is in going through the fire that we can show the won- 
derful works of God. These three men were delivered 
without the smell of fire on their garments. Then Nebu- 
chadnezzar spake and said, "Blessed be the God of 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his 
angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and 
have changed the king's sword, and jaelded their bodies, 
that they might not serve nor worship any god, except 
their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every 
people, nation, and language, which speak anything 
amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- 
nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be 
made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can 
deliver after this sort." By their standing true, God 
showed his mighty power. 

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. 

Brethren and sisters, in our every-day life we 
can show forth the goodness of God. God is going 
to permit some circumstances and conflicts so that we 
can shine as lights in the world. Jesus is not here in 
person today, but we are his ambassadors, and if we 
walk and live right, we can be missionaries in our differ- 
ent places of abode. Think of it, dear ones ! If every 
one of this whole host that is before us today would be 
a missionary in his own home or immediate district, 
or city, what a host of missionaries there would be ! We 
must give account of our opportunities. God will hold 
us accountable. While as a church we are distributing 
literature over all the world, that is not going to relieve 
us of our individual responsibility. We have missionary 
homes ; we are sending out literature. That is good ; but 
no one can accomplish the work that you can right in 
your immediate neighborhood, in your immediate family 
by individual effort. 



MISSIONARY SERMON. S61 

If each one of us in our own homes have our own little 
library, a certain number of books, The Gospel Trumpet, 
the children's papers, then as we have opportunity we 
can tell about these things. For instance, a friend comes 
in to visit and you find her in distress. Tell her about 
the God of heaven, how he came to relieve the cap- 
tive, and to give comfort to those that need comfort; and 
as you tell her, the Holy Spirit talking through you, she 
will begin to get hungry and will say, "Well, that is 
wonderful. Is this your experience?" You say, Yes. 
Then you get her interested in reading some of the good 
promises of the Bible that especially help her at that 
particular time. Then you may say, "Look here, my 
friend, would you like to read a book on this subject?" 
You go to our library and we get "Holy Spirits and 
Other Spirits" ; or "The Secret of Salvation, How to Get 
it and How to Keep it." Then you suggest, "If you 
like this book you may take it home and read it." In 
her need and distress she reads the book. Then later, 
perhaps the wife says to husband, "It is wonderful how 
Mrs. B. is healed. She is just so happy and has such 
victory all the time. I tell you, husband, I believe that 
is the kind of religion we ought to have. Husband, she 
gave me a book; wouldn't you like for us both to read it? 
Let us read two or three chapters every night." He 
says, "All right." The Holy Spirit accompanies the 
reading. What is the result? Often they are brought 
into the family of God. Some one should continue to 
visit them. 

Some say, "I do not have much time to visit the peo- 
ple; our minister visits them"; or, "You know we have 
a missionary home in our city and we have missionary 
workers, and of course we expect them to visit all the 
sick people and all those that need help." But, dear 
ones, right there is where you lose your opportunity. 
While it is all right to have missionary homes and work- 



362 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

ers to distribute papers and tracts, every one of us ought 
to have a missionary home in our own home. Then we 
would not need to go to such an expense to build so many 
missionary homes. And then, too, if we let God have 
his way in every hour of our life, and with every dollar 
that comes into our hands, we would have many mis- 
sionary homes. Have you your own missionary home ? 
As you find your neighbor sick do you visit him or do 
you say, "Oh, I must hurry and get the work done up 
first"? No; you put off some of these things, and go 
take the gospel to your neighbors. Begin to talk to 
them ; let them tell about their pains and diseases, and all 
these things. Let them tell it. One may ask you, "How 
do you do when you are sick? You don't often get sick, 
and you always get well so quickly." 

"Yes, we have a fine physician." 

"Who is your physician?" 

"It is the Lord Jesus Christ." 

"What do you mean?" 

This gives us the opportunity to tell about our Physi- 
cian. We tell of how we have been healed, of how the 
children have been healed, and of other healings we know 
of. The sick one in time of her need will be interested. 
We take the Bible and read about healing, and we tell her 
where the passages are. Then we say, "By the way, we 
have books on divine healing; would you like one?" 
We continue telling them of Christ's compassion and love. 
Is this the way you do in your neighborhood? Pretty 
soon you will have a circle of influence around you, and 
you ask, "Would you like to go to meeting with me Sun- 
day?" Later on, camp-meeting time comes, and you say, 
"Would you like to go to camp-meeting?" One replies, 
"I can't very well; we have been very hard up." You* 
suggest, "I will pay your way." She replies, "We will 
be delighted." In this way you can be a missionary right 
at home. We can not all go to India and Africa. The 



MISSIONARY SERMON. 363 

Lord has need of workers and you can begin at home. 
The apostles were to begin first at Jerusalem, then Ju- 
dea and Samaria, and then go to the uttermost parts of 
the earth. There is much to be done. 

HELPING IN A TEMPORAL WAY. 

There are none of us but can help towards the mis- 
sionary work in a temporal way. If we have not money 
to give, possibly we can raise chickens and sell eggs, 
or have a little garden. If I knew just how every one 
of you were situated in your environments, I would make 
some suggestions, but I can only suggest in a general 
way. 

In our home congregation there are sisters that have 
no place to raise chickens and have no gardens; but we 
got together and formed a sewing circle. We meet the 
first Tuesday of every month. We come together with 
our offerings and we find out somebody that needs a 
quilt, or aprons, or button bags, dust caps, clothespin 
aprons, and any article we think we can sell or turn into 
the missionary work. When we meet each one brings 
an offering and any cloth or material we might turn into 
use in some way. We sew or quilt or make comforters 
all day. We have our song and prayer-service when we 
think all are there. Each one is supposed to bring some 
thing toward lunch, which is put on the table, and all 
sit down and eat and have a nice sociable time. We 
usually realize from $25.00 to $50.00 a month by our 
sewing. Some isolated sister that does not have these 
opportunities pieces quilt tops and sends them in to 
those places where the sisters sew, and the quilts are 
prepared either for sale and the proceeds used for the 
Lord's work, or the quilts are sent into the needy fields. 
It is very nice to have some quilts and other things on 
hand and as the opportunity affords send them into the 
work. We have no difficulty to find needy places. Also, 



364 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

when we see or hear the calls for those convenient arti- 
cles we have them ready. Many people, if they would 
look through their houses could find many things that 
might be turned into the work for needy ones. Others 
like Dorcas could make the coats and garments for the 
widows and those who are so overburdened with work 
and other cares. 

There is another line of work for those who have fruit, 
let it be much or little. If all would dry what fruit they 
can or only that which goes to waste, and send this to 
the missionaries or to the poor, what a good work could 
be done! Let every congregation appoint some one to 
oversee the gathering of fruit, dried corn, or beans, or 
anything that can be preserved in a proper way for the 
missionaries, correspond with those who have the over- 
sight of this work, and send it to the most convenient or 
most needy place. Then those who can not give fruit 
or time or any of these things, let them send in of their 
means to purchase the needed things or for transporta- 
tion. The Lord willing, we expect to send out dried 
fruit from California, and if any one sends in money 
to help, we will be glad to send the fruit to all the 
different missionaries as far as the fruit and means will 
permit. In all these temporal ways we can be helpers 
in the great missionary cause, in saving the world for 
Christ. May the all-abounding grace of God rest upon 
each one. Amen. 



In the Auditorium, Friday morning, June 13, by Delia Fry. 
Following sermon by Jennie M. Byers. 

The t>xt of Sister Byers' sermon was, you remember, 
"God so loved the world that he gave" something. First, 
God so loved us that it worked upon his heart, and caused 
him to sacrifice. That is love. If we say we love the 
sinners it will prompt us to do something. Love prompts 



MISSIONARY SERMON. 365 

us to service. The love of God prompted him to action. 
He gave something. Was this love self-interested? No, 
it was for our own profit, "That whosoever should be- 
lieve upon him should not perish." Then it was not a 
profit to God only, but to ourselves, that God loved us. Oh 
that stirs real gratitude in my heart to God, and it ought 
to inspire all our hearts to praise and gratitude to that 
Giver, who has given so much for you and me for our 
own profit. The half has never yet been told, and never 
will be. The value of salvation never has and never will 
be estimated. It is beyond estimation. 

Every one of us that has the love of God in the heart, 
will be prompted to action. It will prompt us to sacrifice. 
"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed 
upon us!" It is truly wonderful. And our love must 
be as freely given to this world. God is no respecter of 
persons. His loves goes to the very lowest, to the very 
highest, and to the ends of the world. So does his love 
in us. It will reach down to the very lowest. It will go 
to the ends of the world. It will cause us to sacrifice. 
It will make us willing to forsake all for the one that has 
loved us. Thank God for the love of God and a mission- 
ary spirit that he has put into our hearts. It reaches out 
to our brethren and sisters, and it will reach also to 
heathen lands. It goes wherever it is needed, wherever 
sacrifice is needed. Thank God for love! 

God's love to us was sincere, and he wants us to prove 
the sincerity of our love. As long as the love of God is 
in our hearts, it will prompt us to giving, to sincere sac- 
rifice. And what is sacrifice? Giving something that 
we do not need and can give just as well as not? No, 
sacrifice is giving that which costs us something; and if 
we will sacrifice the thing we love, the more grace, glory 
and profit we will get in our souls here. I am in for 
doing all I can for the one who has done all for me. 
After we have done all we can, we are still unprofitable 



366 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

servants. May the Lord lay the burden of loving sacri- 
fice upon our hearts, and may we do all we can for per- 
ishing souls. 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 367 

Missionary Talks. 

In the Auditorium, Friday afternoon, June 13. 
Alice V. Hale, India— 

I praise the Lord with all my heart for the privilege 
of being here. When I think of God's goodness and 
mercy and love to me, truly it melts my heart and it 
deepens within me the desire to work for him. I need 
your earnest prayers while I endeavor to* speak to you 
for a little while about India and to give you some of my 
personal experiences during my sojourn there. 

What I shall say to you this afternoon will be re- 
garding my personal experience in dealing with Indian 
women. I desire your prayers that I may speak to 
your hearts and bring you closer to India and India 
closer to you. 

According to a brother's statement in the ministers' 
meeting, it was from the side of man that woman was 
taken. According to the way India would impress you, 
some of you might think that the woman was taken from 
the foot of man, because the women in India must take 
the lower seat; they must keep the humble place. The 
man is lord of the house and the woman is kept in and 
is not allowed to go out as our American sisters are. 
We ought to appreciate our position in the world and 
the fact that we were born in a free country. If I could 
only give you an insight of what it is like to be in 
India and in purdah, as they call it. Purdah means cur- 
tain, and when we say that, we mean those that are shut 
in and not allowed to go out and see the life that all 
should enjoy. They are shut in. When we visit them 
in their quarters, we usually have to go through a cow 
stable to get into their purdah. The men have the front 
rooms, and often we find their rooms fixed up fairly 
well with carpets on their floors and a white sheet on 



368 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

which the men sit. But when we go through the cow 
stable, guarded perhaps by a fierce dog, and get around 
into the women's quarters, we hardly ever find their 
rooms carpeted. They have a little Indian bed to sit 
on. We go into an inner court, so that no man could ever 
look over, and we sit on those beds. 

The manners and customs in India are very different 
from our own. The costume I have on this afternoon is 
worn by the women in the Punjab. But we do not dress 
our Christian natives like this. I did not put it on for 
show, but simply to show our people in America how the 
non-Christians dress. We teach our orphan children and 
women that we visit, that the Bible condemns the wear- 
ing of gold and costly apparel. We do not wear it 
there, so I do not want to leave that impression on your 
minds. This is the way the non-Christian and the sec- 
tarian Christians dress. This head dress is called a 
chadar, a sheet or a covering in the Indian language, 
and this blouse is called the purta in their language. 

While I was out in village work among the poorer 
class of people, I had a native house right in the heart 
of the village. From here I went out to visit the women. 
Some people may think that we can take our Bibles, and 
go right into their homes and preach the gospel as we 
do here. But we must conform to their ideas and cus- 
toms as much as possible without compromising. We 
do this for their conscience sake, that we may win them 
to Christ. In going to this village, I had to live there 
some time, visiting the people to gain their confidence 
and love, so that I could teach them the gospel and they 
would not be afraid to listen to me. We can not com- 
pel them to become Christians. 

On one occasion a Hindu came for me to visit his 
wife, for she was very ill. He said, "I appreciate you 
missionaries. You certainly love our women. You leave 
your home and frieads and all that is dear and come 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 369 

here to help our women, and I appreciate it." He took 
me into the house and there I found his little wife lying 
on the couch. Everything was dirty and filthy and she 
was suffering intensely. As I walked up, she said, "Oh, 
missa, save my life." I had the opportunity to tell them 
of the love of God and how he alone can save them. It 
is difficult for them to understand things as we do. Oh, 
there is so much of this kind of work to do. I was 
busy from morning to night. 

The missionaries are watched carefully. Their lives 
are watched as they are in this country. I went into a 
merchant's shop there. He was a Hindu man and he was 
talking about Christianity. He said, "I can't under- 
stand Christianity. Many of our people become worse 
rather than better. They do some things we ourselves 
couldn't do." No wonder the poor man could not under- 
stand. As I explained to him the difference between a 
professed Christian and a real Christian, he seemed to 
understand. He seemed to have the idea that a white- 
faced person was a Christian. We had to explain to 
him the difference between a Christian and a sinner. 

Brother Shiffler, one of our colaborers in India, is a 
humble man, and his life — his daily walk with God — is 
telling much for Christianity. 

Robert Jarvis, India — 

I am thankful for the privilege that God has given 
me of standing a few minutes before you. I want to 
thank you for all you have done for us in our orphanage 
work in the Punjab. We appreciate your prayers, your 
tears, and your offerings. They have been acceptable in 
the sight of God. Your prayers have been recorded in 
heaven; God has heard; and although there has been 
quite a hard fight, I want to thank God that His grace is 
sufficient for us in India, in that land of darkness, as 
much as in this land. 



370 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

By the grace of God, we have been through two fam- 
ines, and rescued five hundred of those precious children. 
Many of them have died. Some of them are still alive and 
doing well. Some are working for God. We have encour- 
aging letters once in a while from some of those dear 
boys and girls, telling us about their troubles and beg- 
ging us to return as quickly as possible, they want to 
see us. The work over there is encouraging. The seed 
sown in their young hearts is going to bear fruit; if 
not now, it will in future years through your prayers and 
the grace of God. We have been kept through sickness 
and disease. God has helped and kept us in that heathen 
land. 

You little realize the greatness of the population of 
India. Three hundred million there are in need of gos- 
pel workers. The light is going forth and I am en- 
couraged for it. So many are unwilling to consecrate 
their money and themselves to go over there. God wants 
the very best of you. Some of you have, no doubt, been 
called to a foreign field. God can give you as much 
grace over there, and as many souls for your hire e»s 
be does in this land. 

I thank God he has called me to that land. My heart 
is over there. I love India and her people and am will- 
ing to return, as soon as God opens the way, for service 
and sacrifice, as God shall call. I am going to do my best 
for the salvation of souls, and I ask your prayers, not 
only for myself, but for the rest of the missionaries. 
Pray in secret until you know God has heard and he will 
bless their labors. 

Otto Doebert, Germany — 

You can not imagine how many times I have desired 
to be over here in the States to express to you my feel- 
ings and to acquaint you with our work. It is by God's 
goodness and mercy to us that we are here at this time. 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 371 

Although being away over five years, we have never been 
home-sick, but sometimes we desired to be in a meeting 
of God's children. I have been looking forward and 
praying to be at this meetings not only to enjoy your 
company, but to tell you of the good things God has been 
doing for us and the work over in Europe. I would like 
to present to you the whole work in those parts, but I 
must make a long story short. 

Our work has been mainly in Germany and in Russia. 
We have also spent some time in Switzerland and have 
visited England and Ireland, and passed through Holland 
and Austria. Our visit to Ireland was to the Belfast 
camp-meeting. Here we met Brother Cheatham. I 
would like to request prayer for him and the work there. 
He needs our encouragement. There we also met with 
Brother and Sister Allan, of Aberdeen, Scotland, who 
attended the meeting. He was much delighted over a 
letter which they at that time received from Bro. C. E. 
Orr, stating that he and Sister Orr felt led to come to 
Scotland and help them in the work there. Do remem- 
ber the British Isles. I believe we do not encourage our 
missionaries enough. I am not here to accuse any one, 
but you know when a man is away for some time, it 
tells on him sometimes. It did on me. If you are away 
for five years you may find some humanity about you 
after all. I expect that many of you have been praying 
for us while gone. So many said when we came back, 
"I thought of you so much." I almost got to doubting it 
sometimes. I will believe it more after we are gone if 
you will let us know about it. 

While passing through England in company with 
Brother Tasker and Brother and Sister Smith we stopped 
at London and visited the Tower of London, Houses of 
Parliament, British Museum, and Westminster Abbey. 
We had the privilege of distributing some tracts on the 
streets of London. We also met with Brother Atchinak 



372 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

and Sister Trad from Syria. While coming through Hol- 
land we gave out tracts on the train which were eagerly 
received by some interested Dutch. There is a family 
of Hollanders in Germany near Essen that got saved 
and are quite interested in the truth. One young man 
among them seems quite promising for the ministry. 
While alone on my way to Russia I passed through Aus- 
tria and had some experience with some Jews. Time 
does not allow me to say much now. Then we spent 
about a month with the work in Switzerland. There are 
about three congregations there, with bright prospects. 
Three quite efficient ministers are there, two native breth- 
ren beside Brother Springer. 

Before taking up the work in Essen we spent con- 
siderable time in Russia. We have made five different 
trips there; twice I went alone, twice in company with 
my wife, and once wife went alone. Russia is a wonder- 
ful field, and a large work has already begun there. The 
work develops mostly through the literature and then 
because the people are very zealous. Thus the work 
spreads very rapidly. We need many more workers 
there. What is needed most are pastors — workers that 
will take care of the work. The work demands such men 
and women as are settled in the truth, such as are willing 
to stand and endure hardness, because there are many 
things to battle against that the folks here know little of. 

The people of Germany are a religious people. They 
lay claim to the revelation of God's truth. They lay 
great claims to the Bible itself because Luther translated 
it into their language, or discovered it, so to speak. 
In general they are an intelligent and educated people, 
and can not just be stirred up in some sentimental way. 
You must convince them. We need people over there 
that can do that kind of work — workers that know how 
to get at the people. This is the great demand. 

For two a»d one-half years we have had the charge of 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 373 

the Missionary home in Essen. In some respects our home 
differs from those in this country. The marked differ- 
ence is that we have no trouble in getting inmates. Young 
people have been presenting themselves right along, and 
one difficulty has been how to successfully dispose of 
them. Not having sufficient secular employment for them 
all, it somewhat limits our work. Although our efforts 
for workers has been somewhat slow, we feel that it pays 
to follow the way we have thus far pursued. 

While not all who have left the home have entered 
into the gospel field, we yet can thank God for what has 
been done. It has given such as have felt the hand 
of the Lord upon them a chance to prove and develop 
their call. Several young men and women who were in 
the Home are now preaching the gospel. As a rule, 
those who get the truth stick to it. We have one young 
brother who is a Jew. It is wonderful how God is using 
him. He, with his family, is now in Russia, doing pas- 
toral work, and God is blessing his labors. Other souls 
come to the home for spiritual and bodily help. There 
is a Bible class of about one hour's duration held each 
day except Saturdays and Sundays. The rent for the 
home is about $49.00 monthly. God has supplied it so 
far. The greater part of this amount came through the 
Missionary Fund. It would be interesting for you to 
visit the work, but you can not do that, and we can not 
tell you all. The brethren who have passed through and 
seen the work seemed to be delighted. We are glad that 
we can be engaged in this work. 

We wish to thank you all for your prayers and the 
interest you have shown. As I have not in time past fur- 
nished sufficient information, I expect, the Lord willing, 
to give a more complete account for the Trumpet later 
on. We intend to return to our field of labor in the fall. 
Pray for us and our work and expect us to stay by it by 
the grace of God. 



374 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Gertrude Doebert, Germany — 

I am surely thankful that I can be in this camp-meet- 
ing. I thank the Lord that he saw fit to call me to his 
work. 

Ten years ago while at the Trumpet Home in Mounds- 
ville, W. Va., I took very sick and felt as if I were going 
to die. I prayed to God that if I could be the means 
of one soul getting saved, to let me live. And a vision 
came before me. I saw a harvest-field of ripe grain, and 
it seemed that a voice said, "Those are souls." I did 
not know then exactly what it meant; but it gave me a 
desire to get well. I know well today what it meant. I 
have seen the ripe harvest-field of souls. 

About six years ago while attending the camp-meet- 
ing at this place, when the German brethren spoke about 
the great need of workers in Europe, such a burden came 
upon my heart for that work as I never had experienced 
before. I went in prayer and asked the Lord that if he 
could make something out of me that he could use, to do 
it. Then the Lord took the opportunity. 

It does not take the Lord long if we are willing and 
give him a chance to use us. One sister once said God 
would make many more workers if the material were 
placed at his disposal. Some may excuse themselves 
and say they can not do anything. Give God a 
chance. 

I had a burden for the German work, although I did 
not know the German language as well as the English. 
I could not get much good out of German reading for I 
did not like it as long as I was in this country. But as 
soon as I got among the people over there I got such 
a love and care for them, that it was not long until I felt 
I was one of them. God helped me so wonderfully in 
the language, that people over there would not know but 
what I was born there. I say this to the glory of God. 
My parents worshiped in the German language, so I had 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 375 

a chance to get German schooling, for which I am thank- 
ful now. This was a great help to me. 

Some have asked us whether we did not get home- 
sick. I can not say that I really got home-sick, although 
I often had a deep desire to see the dear ones over 
here, especially when in Russia, while battling against 
spiritual wickedness and different things. Once such a 
longing came into my heart to see a certain sister or have 
a letter, that I wrote a letter to her and expressed my 
feelings, but never got an answer. I am sure she never 
realized what that meant ; but those who are absent from 
the saints for a time and in a foreign country realize 
it. 

I love the church of God. I enjoyed the sermon by 
Sister Byers this forenoon. I could say amen to it. I 
pray God to raise up more such mothers in Israel. Some 
of my work has been among the young people, and I 
see a great harvest that we can have if we take interest 
in the young folks as we should. We had the privilege 
of seeing many get saved, some of whom God is using 
already in preaching the gospel. Young workers need 
encouragement. When I first felt the hand of God upon 
me for his work, I sometimes had a desire to come up 
close to the older workers and have a good talk, but 
timidity kept me back, and they did not give me much 
of a chance. We are so apt to overlook these privileges 
and fail to be the help to young workers we should be. 
Older workers who exercise themselves in the gospel work 
often do not know how much good they can do by speak- 
ing a word of encouragement to young beginners. We 
need established workers, and where shall we get them, 
if we do not try to help the younger ones to become such. 
The Lord has put a care on my heart for young people 
and young converts. I desire your prayers that the 
Lord will help me always to be what he wants me to 
be. 



376 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

C. E. Honnex, China — 

I am glad this afternoon for the privilege of repre- 
senting China. While I am interested in the work of the 
Lord everywhere, yet there is a special sense in which 
I am interested in China. I suppose you will not blame 
me for that when I tell you that I was born there, though 
I am not exactly a Chinaman. My parents are Euro- 
peans. 

Before I left that country, some of the native Chris- 
tians were in the habit of meeting together for prayer 
in the guest-room, underneath my room, and as they 
prayed, they would offer prayer for me. The two main 
thoughts that underlay their prayers in my behalf were 
these: That the Lord would give me a safe journey 
across the ocean. So I felt pretty safe on board ship. 
I believed the ship could not go down because the prayers 
of those simple Christians could not but prevail. The 
second thought: That the Lord would help me when in 
America to be able to tell the people about China, and 
I believe that he has helped me. 

I am glad this afternoon to tell you that our work 
over there has prospered, although we have not enlarged 
our borders. We have adopted the policy of sticking to 
our work. It is one thing to get people saved and an- 
other thing to keep them saved; especially is this true 
in regard to the heathen. There are some precious 
souls over there, and were you to attend some of the 
meetings and to hear those Chinese brothers and sis- 
ters testify to divine healing, salvation, and other bless- 
ings, although you could not understand what they were 
saying, it would make your hearts rejoice; because you 
could then realize that they were testifying to something 
that you already possess. Salvation is good for the 
Chinamen. 

People are sometimes suspicious of the Chinese and 
wonder if they really get salvation. Some are actually 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 377 

saved, and love the truth of God with all their hearts. 
Not that we do not thank the Lord for what has been 
done, but brothers and sisters, when we consider the im- 
mense field before us, we realize there is much to be 
done yet. Japan has a population of 50,000,000; Africa, 
200,000,000; India, 330,000,000; and China has about 
400,000,000 inhabitants. 

While we thank God for the good foundation that has 
been laid, I believe you will agree with me that the time 
has come when we ought to enlarge our borders in that 
country. Let me illustrate a little. Suppose that in this 
country there were only one congregation of saints; for 
instance, in Anderson; and in every other town and vil- 
lage throughout this country there were no saints at 
all — only in Anderson — I am sure you would pray the 
Lord to spread the truth in this country. 

In the last letter from my brother, he said they ex- 
pected to open up another station where Brother and 
Sister Lee (a native brother and sister) are going. Let 
us pray the Lord to hasten the time when the church of 
God will enlarge her borders in that country. 

A short time before I left China, I was speaking with 
a man from Changsha. This man inquired of me, how 
many stations we had in China? I had to tell him the 
truth. He seemed surprised that we, who represent the 
church of God, had only one station. May the Lord im- 
press this motto here, "China for Christ," upon our 
hearts so that we will not be able to forget it. Not 
merely today, but day after day, I pray God to help you 
to feel the need of the work over there. 

The different denominations have made good headway. 
There are about 5,000 Protestant missionaries. Some of 
the idols have been destroyed, yet many of the people 
still worship idols. Not only that, but infidelity is mak- 
ing its inroad. I remember reading of a man saying to 
a missionary who was distributing Scripture portions: 



378 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

"Oh, yes, we know all about your religion, for the edu- 
cated people of England and the continent [meaning the 
continent of Europe] do not believe in it any more." Do 
you blame this man? That was the expression of a 
Chinaman way in the interior of China. Brothers and 
sisters, it behooves us to put forth every effort we can 
for the spread of the truth. 

Do the Chinese want the truth? A great many of 
them do not care for it at all. You have all heard that 
many of the Chinese women have small feet. When 
they are a few years old they go through a process of 
binding the feet, which makes it difficult for them to 
walk; they hobble along. One poor woman was anxious 
to hear the gospel preached. She actually walked for 
three days on her small feet in order to get to a place 
where she could hear the gospel preached. There are 
some hungry souls over there. 

Another feature of missionary effort in China is the 
publishing work. My work was largely connected with 
the publishing work. We have quite a lot of manuscripts 
but not much printing done. You will agree with me 
that we ought to have a paper over there. The English 
work has its periodicals; the same with the German 
work, the Scandanavian work^ the Japanese work, the 
work in India, and the Russian work ; and there is a Let- 
tish Trumpet, too. They have their monthly or weekly- 
papers, and now, brothers and sisters, don't you think 
we in China ought to have a paper, too? Amen. That 
sounds good. When you go home, don't forget about it. 
Don't say amen today and go back and forget about it. 
Pray the Lord to hasten the time when we shall be able 
to have a Gospel Trumpet in the Chinese language. 
Many of the Chinese can not read, yet many can read. 
So pray the Lord that we shall soon have the Gospel 
Trumpet in that language. 

Brothers and sisters, I am sure that on that great day 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 379 

when we shall surround the throne of God, and when 
we shall gather together with our Mongolian brothers 
and sisters, we shall be glad to see them there enjoying 
the bliss of heaven. It will make us glad that we have 
helped to take the gospel to them. The fact that will 
make us glad, will be not only that those brothers and 
sisters are enjoying the bliss of heaven, but that we 
helped to take the gospel to them. 

I desire your prayers that the Lord will continue to 
bless in the work over there. I expect, the Lord willing, 
to leave in the fall. I am glad for the privilege of being 
here. When I was in China, and it came time for the 
camp-meeting here in Anderson, I used to wish that 
the brethren here could preach loud enough that we could 
hear them over yonder. It is a feast to be here. Those 
of you who are always attending meeting can hardly real- 
ize it. 

I have often been disappointed about letters. I took 
the time to write to different saints in this country, and 
some of them never answered me. Now, brothers and sis- 
ters, perhaps you have not much time, but a card will be 
appreciated. I like to see my name once in a while on 
an envelope. If you feel like writing I shall always 
answer. 

Do not forget to pray for China. When you go home, 
do not forget to pray for each of the missionaries over 
there. May the Lord by his Spirit impress this upon 
your hearts indelibly. 

Geo. Q. Copiin, West Indies — 

I am very thankful for the ten minutes allotted to 
me, but I do not think that I shall be able to tell you 
much about the work in the West Indies in so limited a 
time. First, I thank God for the privilege of being in 
this camp-meeting. I am also glad to say that the Lord 
kept us saved while we were away, and that we enjoyed 



380 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

his presence with us and his help in times of need. We 
have also appreciated the kindnesses of the dear saints 
at home. I am sure that I can speak in behalf of all 
the missionaries on the field and say that your coopera- 
tion and your prayers are greatly appreciated. Our 
hearts were often encouraged when we learned that the 
brethren at home were praying for us. 

The workers in the British West Indies desired to be 
remembered to the saints here. On our way home we had 
the privilege of stopping in the Canal Zone and meeting 
with Brother and Sister Janes. They also send love to 
the saints at home. The church in Jamaica also send 
greetings to the church of God in America. They de- 
sired us to express their gratitude for your cooperation 
and the kind help that you have given to the work there 
in times past. At the present time they have begun work 
on the new chapel and are needing considerable financial 
help. 

Perhaps some have gotten the idea that the work in 
these countries should be self-supporting; but under 
present conditions such is impossible. Could you visit 
these islands and see the poverty, you surely could not 
expect those people to do very much toward supporting 
the gospel or the missionaries who are laboring among 
them. God has given to us the privilege of sending the 
bread of life to them. We ought to count it a privi- 
lege, and thank God for the opportunity of doing some- 
thing to help fallen humanity. 

A few questions have been asked me. Some have been 
anxious to know something about the climate. A great 
many reports have gone out regarding climatic conditions 
in the West Indies, and I must say that many of them 
have been greatly exaggerated. When I arrived there 
I found things quite different from what I anticipated 
before leaving here. It is true that there are places in 
the West Indies which are unhealthful; but generally 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 381 

speaking the climate is quite good. When I reached Bar- 
bados I found not only a beautiful country but an ex- 
cellent climate as well. The heat there is not oppressive ; 
the thermometer scarcely ever registers above 85 de- 
grees in the shade. There is always a cool sea-breeze, 
and when night came we always had coverings on our 
beds. Of course, the sun shines very warm through the 
middle of the day, and it is dangerous for any one going 
from here to expose himself too much to the heat of the 
sun until he becomes thoroughly acclimated. But by 
taking proper care I do not see why one can not go there 
and labor for years just as well as in this country. 

Fevers are very little known in some of these islands, 
so should any of you feel like going to the West Indies at 
any time you need have no fears. And should some one 
come and tell you that there are giants there, or that the 
land eats up the people, do not believe them. If the Lord 
wants you to go, go. And if you will use wisdom and 
trust in God he will take care of vou. 

You desire to know something about our work there. 
A little more than a year ago we made our first visit to 
Barbados. Brother Scantlebury was anxious for us to 
come. When we arrived we found a few who were en- 
deavoring to hold up the truth. We began meetings at 
once and the Lord blessed and souls were saved. Dur- 
ing this meeting quite a good congregation was raised 
up. 

Some have thought that it is a very easy thing to get 
people saved in the West Indies. We found many diffi- 
culties there as elsewhere. Sometimes it was very hard 
to get people to the altar. We often had to exhort and 
plead with them before they would make a start But 
when they do step out it is settled with them. They expect 
to stand true and never go back to their old forms. They 
may give way to weakness and prove unfaithful, but as 
a rule they will not forsake the missionary. He must get 



382 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

them back into the right way and teach and correct them 
as if they were children. May the Lord bless the work 
there. 

After spending about two months in Barbados I was 
called back to Trinidad to help the brethren in arrang- 
ing for and erecting a chapel. During that time Brother 
Shaw remained with the work that had been started in 
Barbados. Four months later I joined him again when 
we had another meeting and others took their stand for 
the truth. 

Later we both went over to Trinidad to help in the 
work there. About the last of February we made our 
third trip to Barbados. This time the Lord opened up 
the way for us to hold a meeting in the city. Brother 
and Sister Blewitt, of New York, were with us in this 
meeting. We met with some opposition. It was an- 
nounced publicly that we were Mormons; so at first the 
people were a little afraid of us. But God overruled 
and blessed in the meeting. About sixty gave their hearts 
to God and took a stand for the truth. The next day 
afer this meeting closed, in company with Brother and 
Sister Blewitt, I started for New York. During our stay 
in Barbados the Lord raised up several to assist Brother 
Shaw in carrying on the work. At present they need 
some one to help them and to exercise a fatherly care for 
them and the work. 

I had it upon my heart to tell you something of the 
needs of the work in South America and Cuba, but I 
shall have to close. Remember that the work in these 
fields needs your prayers and that the brethren appre- 
ciate your cooperation. If you could be in one of their 
meetings and hear the dear saints testifying and thank- 
ing God with tears for the missionaries that came over 
the sea to bring them the truth, you surely would not re- 
gret what you have done to promote the cause of Christ 
in the West Indies. 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 383 

Archie Rather, West Indies — 

I thank the Lord for the privilege of being at home 
with the dear saints again and of enjoying some of the 
good meetings. We also thank God for his blessings to 
us while we were away. Surely many times we felt the 
effect of God's saints praying at home. Sometimes while 
we were passing through some dark hours we could feel 
that some one was praying for us. We have learned to 
appreciate the prayers of the saints. We thank God 
for the way he has been blessing our efforts. The re- 
sult has been a few dear souls have been sought out for 
the Lord in Trinidad. 

A few years ago, Brother Duncan, Brother and Sister 
Pye, and Sister Lydia (Yoder) Gillespie were in Port 
of Spain. God blessed their labors and a nice congre- 
gation was raised up. But being left alone as a flock of 
sheep without a shepherd, some went astray. God has 
been blessing in gathering them back, and others are 
being saved. A nice congregation is being raised up. I 
was trying to count up how many there are in the con- 
gregation in Port of Spain. There are between sixty 
and seventy saints there, those that we can depend upon 
as being saints. Others who have been saved have gone 
home to glory. Some seed has been sown that will bring 
forth fruit. 

Not only the saints that have been there and laboring 
are going to receive and enjoy a reward, but God's saints 
that have faithfully labored in cooperating with us are 
going to receive a share in the reward over there. I feel 
like encouraging the saints to pray much for us in our 
labors. 

The great necessity is literature. If the workers in 
the West Indies have literature much more can be ac- 
complished. While there are some East Indians there, 
the principal language spoken in the island is the Eng- 
lish. Thus there is a great demand for the English lit- 



384 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

erature, and unless we have it our hands are tied. I 
pray God to encourage the hearts of his saints to do their 
duty in donating to the Free Literature Fund. For some 
time, you possibly have noticed in the Trumpet, that the 
West Indian Free Literature Fund has been overdrawn 
considerably. When I left that country they begged me 
to send them more literature. The Fund is overdrawn; 
what are we going to do? Let them go hungry or put 
forth a special effort to get literature there? The mis- 
sionaries and ministers that go out ought to be supplied 
with literature so that they can preach the truth, and 
leave literature for the people to read and study. The 
best established saints there are those who have gotten 
the truth through reading the literature. As they 
watched us and saw that our lives harmonized with the 
literature they were convinced and won to the truth. 

God has blessed in raising up another little congrega- 
tion at Princestown, a congregation of about thirty saints. 
The Sunday-school is prospering in both places. In Port 
of Spain the Sunday-school numbers about eighty-one 
and is on the increase, and at Princestown it numbered 
about fifty-three when we left. Brother Neff is getting 
along nicely with the work among the East Indians, but 
he needs your prayers. The workers here certainly 
need our prayers and cooperation, for they have things 
to face that we do not realize or understand. 

Anna Cheatham, Ireland- 
It is some time since I have been in the British Isles, 
but I hear from husband every week and he keeps me 
informed of the work there. It is of the present need 
of that country that I wish to speak. 

In Scotland Brother Allan has been laboring faith- 
fully, visiting and scattering literature. A good work 
has been raised up there through his labors. He will be 
disappointed if some minister does not go there from 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 885 

here after this camp-meeting. He is expecting one to 
come. The work there is encouraging. 

England also needs a minister to oversee the work, 
and to open it up in new places. Near London, where 
husband recently held a two or three weeks' meeting, 
there is a good opening. Some are taking their stand for 
the truth. The saints have their own chapel in Birk- 
enhead. Brother Hopwood is local elder there. 

Husband is in Ireland. He has much more work than 
he can do. He goes to Scotland occasionally to hold 
meeting; also to England. More workers are needed 
in Ireland. One brother said to me not long since, 
"Would it not be a great help to the work over there if 
some good evangelist would go to stay five or six months 
and hold meetings in different places?" I said it surely 
would, and believe it should be done. 

We can not get halls there for every night because 
of so many secret orders and other things going on. The 
church in Belfast is now gathering money to build a 
chapel. I think it will be a good plan to build it so 
as to have living rooms above the meeting-room. Some in 
this country have been helping by their means, and we 
thank them for it. 

We want to see the work there soon become self-sup- 
porting. I expect to go back in July, Lord willing. If 
any one feels God calling you to this needy field, do not 
hold back, but come along. What is. needed there as 
well as any other place, are men and women of God, filled 
with wisdom, well established, that know how to deal 
with souls. 

"D. F. Odea, South Africa — 

I am glad for the privilege of talking to you a little 
while this afternoon about Africa. I did not learn all 
about it while I was there but I did learn enough to 
know that the people are in need of the gospel. It ap- 



386 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

pears to me that in our missionary efforts, Africa has 
been neglected. I was glad to hear from the other 
brethren how the work is prospering in other parts of 
the world, but I have no such an encouraging report for 
Africa. In that great continent, we are told that there 
are over 200,000,000 souls. We have no missionaries in 
that part inhabited by the colored people and I suppose 
that more than half the people of Africa never heard of 
the name of Jesus. Is it not awful to think that those 
people do not know that Jesus Christ died for them? 

Some of the colored people in this country thank God 
that the white people brought them from Africa, for had 
they been left there they would still be in heathenism. 
Now I pray God that he will move some of the colored 
people in this country to carry the truth back to those that 
are still here. Perhaps some of my white brethren think 
they could not do much good in Africa, but I want to 
disabuse your mind of that thought. The colored people 
of Africa reverence a white man. They love him if he 
is only true, but if he is working for a selfish end, they 
soon lose confidence in him. If they once become turned 
against a person, they do not know how to forgive him. 
A missionary who thus loses the confidence of his people 
had better come back to America just as soon as he 
can. 

When once the Africans turn away from their idols to 
the true God, they turn their back forever on their hea- 
then religion: when they give up sin, they consider that 
they have quit it forever. But for all that, if they have 
no one to teach them, no pastor to shepherd them, the 
devil will overcome them, and they will drift back into 
their old heathenism again. 

These people love their white leaders and are anxious 
to have more of the American people to come. They are 
anxious to learn white men's ways and to get out of the 
terrible ignorance they are in. True, some of the 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 387 

older people do not care so much as the younger people 
for civilization, but you can get all the children you 
want. The parents want you to educate them, to Ameri- 
canize and Christianize them. Africa needs schools and 
the older people want schools for their children. 

Brethren, I believe God wants Africa to hear this sav- 
ing truth. I noticed in the African people a great de- 
sire to learn about Jesus. They were so much interested 
in preaching that they kept their faces straight to the 
front and would not look back during the time of serv- 
ice. While speaking to them, I used an interpreter, a 
native man. He remembered so well what I said that 
I would talk along quite rapidly and become quite en- 
thused sometimes in telling them about God. I would 
become so interested at times I would forget that I should 
stop and let him tell the congregation what I had said. 
How glad they were to hear the story of Jesus and to 
learn what he wants them to do. 

There is a God above who can save these heathen peo- 
ple from all their sins and stop them from fighting and 
killing each other. They are glad to hear about Jesus. 
The first thing they want to do when they come to meet- 
ing is to get saved. Africa ought to have the gospel. 
While we are laboring and struggling to get the gospel to 
those in this country, the Lord help us to do all we can 
to extend the truth to the poor people in Africa. It may 
be that in order to do this, you will have to suffer some 
or to go hungry. Very likely you will get sick, especially 
in some parts of the country; but what of that? Africa 
needs the gospel. 

As I think of Africa and pray about its needs, I am 
sorry that so much of my life is past. Although I am 
comparatively a young man, if I could call back twenty 
years of my life, I would be willing to spend the re- 
mainder of my days in Africa. We have a little boy six 
years old that we are training for Africa. I often think, 



388 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

shall we carry him there and raise him? It seems too 
long for Africa to wait until he is grown. Will we have 
to raise him there so that the black man may have the 
gospel? If so, the will of the Lord be done. 

Whoever goes to Africa may have to eat monkey as 
we eat chicken here. Are you willing to do that if the 
Lord wants you to? If you walk into a restaurant in 
some parts of Africa, they are likely to ask you if you 
want monkey soup. Not only may you have to eat mon- 
key, but you will have to eat snake too. Could you do 
that if it were necessary? If the natives live on these 
things, we can live on them too. 

Perhaps you would be interested in knowing something 
about their marriage customs. Some of them marry as 
the American or English people do. Many do not marry 
that way. A girl is usually sold to her husband. If she 
is an extra fine girl, he will have to pay four milk cows 
for her. If she is not such an attractive girl, he can per- 
haps buy her for a cow and a goat. Sometimes a boy and 
girl decide they want to marry and make known their 
wishes to the parents. The couple take hold of hands 
and the people form a circle around them. Presently 
those in the circle begin to beat the boy. They strike 
him over the head and in all parts of the body; but no 
matter how hard they beat him, he must hold on to that 
girl. He must not let her go no matter how hard and 
how fast the blows come. When they have beaten him 
to their satisfaction, the couple is then married. 

These people need God. They want God and it is 
our duty to take the gospel to them. When you make an 
appointment to preach to the African people, do not 
think you will have to wait for them to come. They will 
get to the place of meeting by the time you do. They 
will come hundreds of miles to hear the story of Jesus. 
In the last Missionary Herald published, I think it was, I 
read a piece of how the poor people met for three long 



MISSIONARY TALKS, 389 

years twice a day in one place waiting for a missionary 
to come to them. Every morning and evening they kept 
meeting together but no missionary came, until nearly 
three years of patient waiting their hopes were realized. 
They had waited thirty moons. God help us to carry the 
truth to such a people. 

N. S. Buncaa, West Indies — 

I am glad to have the privilege of speaking in the mis- 
sionary meeting and acknowledging my call to the mis- 
sionary work. 

About seven years ago Bro. G. H. Pye lectured on the 
West Indies. I became very much interested, and God 
began to talk to me about going. It was a question 
whether it was wisdom to take my family; so after much 
prayer I decided to go without my family. I went and 
felt God's approval on my going. While there I learned 
to love those dear people. In a few months I returned, 
thinking that perhaps some day God would be pleased 
for me to return with my family. 

Brother Pye stayed by the work for some time, but his 
health began to fail, so he came back, and the saints 
were left like sheep without a shepherd. My heart 
would go out for them and often I would pray for them. 
After they were left alone for a year or so they kept 
pleading so pitifully for some one to come to their res- 
cue. I took another trip alone and stayed with them 
about six months. God blessed me and I learned to love 
them more than ever. They begged me to send for my 
family and look after the work there. I told them that 
I could not say as to that. They said they had got it 
from God that some day I would locate in the West In- 
dies. I told them if God ever made it clear to me to come 
and take up the work there I would do so. 

About three years ago at the camp-meeting God began 
to burden my heart about going, and it was announced 



390 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

from the pulpit that I was going and would take my 
family. Wife and I went away from the camp-meeting 
fully intending to go. I surely intended to go as much 
as Abraham intended to slay his son. We began to 
make preparations. Of course some pointed out some 
very dark pictures to us and Satan did his part in try- 
ing to discourage us and make us think that we would 
suffer if we went. Then I would think of the scripture 
where Paul said he that provides not for his family has 
denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. I listened to 
these things and finally decided not to go. I made ex- 
cuses by saying there is plenty of work to do in this 
country, without going so far. 

I kept on excusing myself; but the call did not leave 
me. When I would read the news from the missionary 
field and hear missionary songs it would pull down on 
the cords of my heart. My wife would say, "Husband, 
I feel God wants us to go, and if we make excuses I am 
afraid something will happen to us." Sometimes when 
I would hear a missionary song sung I would feel 
like falling at the feet of the ministry, and asking 
them to pray for me that I might be more willing to 

go- 
Thank God, after a long struggle I have gotten to 
the point where I am willing to go. So when the way 
opens, I shall take my family and say farewell to my 
native home, for I feel God wants us to go. I fall a 
servant at the feet of my dear brethren. I want the 
prayers of all the saints of God. I am confident that the 
missionary makes the greatest sacrifice of any one, but I 
believe the greater the sacrifice the greater the reward 
will be in glory. I assure you I will be loyal to God and 
to my calling and will do clean work for God. Now I 
ask your prayers that God will direct in all things, and 
make his grace sufficient at all times and under all cir- 
cumstances. 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 391 

F. O. Fuerholzer, Central Africa— 

Since I have done missionary work in Southern Mexico 
and South America I was called on to tell of my experi- 
ence as a missionary, but as the time is short and I have 
only five minutes, I wish to speak about my call for 
Africa. Brother Oden just spoke something about Africa. 
About two and one-half years of my life have been spent 
there as an army officer, where I had been fighting the 
savages, but now I feel called to go back not to bring 
war, but to take the gospel of peace and purity. In the 
Trumpet I read of a call for a missionary to Africa, and 
I felt that my call had come. I am young in the light, 
but I want to get prepared and be sent out as a good 
worker for the Lord. I want your prayers that my 
life may be given for Africa. 

I used to be a lieutenant in the German cavalry. In 
the year 1897, a call came in the barracks from the 
Major for two volunteer officers to embark immediately 
for Africa. Even as a boy, my heart was interested in 
that continent. On the 10th day of November of the 
year '97 I left for Kamerun. Victoria was the point of 
destination. I had 285 colored troops with me which we 
brought from Monrovia. After three days we marched 
into the interior to Buea, where our first fortification was 
located. There was also a mission station there, but the 
missionaries had to flee when the white factorymen and 
plantation owners had been killed by the savages. I 
established order, called for the chiefs to come and report 
in supplication to the German flag, or be annihilated, 
which some of the tribes later had to be. 

Those poor heathen are ridden by the superstitions of 
the medicine men. They are continually in war one 
with another, killing and making slaves, and know noth- 
ing of that brotherly love which Christ has taught us. 
Do you not think it is time for the church of God to go 
there where Catholic and sectarian missionaries have 



392 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

been for the last twenty-five years? Do you not think 
it is time for the saints of God to follow the command: 
"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel" ? Thank 
God, I know the saints now. I have thrown my lot in 
with them and I for one am called and willing to go there 
and break the bread of life to those poor hungry heathen. 
When I think back to the time that I spent at the 
Catholic Mission in Bonjongo, when I used to be a Cath- 
olic myself, how the 2,500 children and young women 
and young men went to school there daily, how eagerly 
they drank in the Catholic superstitions and idol wor- 
ship ; I am pledged to go there as fast as possible to bring 
them the gospel light. May you saints of God, pray to 
this end. Pray that I may be real useful and humble, 
that my labor may be successful for God's own church; 
and I hope then to come back some time and meet you 
again here at a missionary meeting and tell you of some 
glorious results and of the increase God was willing to 
give to us. 

Alexander F. Trad, Syria — 

I want to tell you that the Lord is working wonder- 
fully among the people in Syria. Remember that you 
have brothers and sisters there. Sister Hittle and Brother 
and Sister Smith are there and the Lord is blessing 
them wonderfully helping my sister in the school. The 
Lord is also using some of the children to his glory. I 
got a letter a few weeks ago from my sister telling how 
the Lord used a little girl about ten years old to be the 
means of her mother's salvation and healing. Her mother 
was insane and the doctors could not help her any more. 
The girl was converted in my sister's school. She knelt 
beside the bedside of her mother and prayed. My sister 
was also sitting near. The Lord made the mother much 
better. The Lord is making her a missionary among 
others also. 



MISSIONARY TALKS. 393 

I have heard about you, and I praise the Lord for the 
privilege of being among you. I praise the Lord for 
his salvation, for his power to heal, and his power to save. 
I praise the Lord because I found him five years ago. I 
felt I was the worst fellow ever found on the earth and 
I could not imagine that God could ever save such a 
man as I; but I praise the Lord that he has saved me 
and kept me. It is a glorious thing to be in the Lord's 
hands. Wherever you are, in Africa or China, there will 
be heaven for you. I praise the Lord because I am his 
and he is mine, for the peace and happiness I feel. I 
find more enjoyment every minute of my life than in all 
the time I passed with the devil. 

Syria needs your prayers. It is not necessary for 
every one of you workers to go there, but for all of you 
to kneel down and ask God to send some one there. Syria 
is in need of missionaries. We always praise God when 
we can labor among the missionaries; and you pray that 
God will send missionaries. Do not forget Syria. Pray 
for me that the Lord will keep me and use me wherever 
I can do his will. 



394 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

The Ruin of Sin and Disobedience. 

In the Auditorium, Friday evening, June 13, 
by N. S. Duncan. 

I will read from Ezek. 18:30-32: "Therefore I will 
judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his 
ways, saith the Lord. Repent, and turn yourselves from 
all your transgressions ; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 
Cast away all your transgressions, whereby ye have 
transgressed ; and make you a new heart and a new spirit : 
for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no 
pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord 
God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." 

I want to call your attention to the thirtieth verse — 
"Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgress- 
ions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." I want to 
show you the effect of sin and disobedience. I pray God 
to bless his word to the good of every soul here. 

We can judge what God will do in the future by what 
he has done in the past. God never has set his approval 
on sin and disobedience. When Adam and Eve disobeyed 
God's law, they had to suffer the penalty and were com- 
pelled to leave the Garden of Eden. More than that, 
their sin brought a curse on all the human family. 

Sin is a very bad thing indeed. Its ruining, blasting 
effect can be seen wherever we go. People say, "You 
people have so much to say about sin." That is just 
what is the matter with this world — sin and disobedience. 
Now, if there were no way out of sin, the picture would 
look exceedingly dark, but, thank God! there is a way 
out. I shall not take time to read all the passages of 
Scripture that I shall refer to tonight, but will quote 
several concerning men who disobeyed God, and see what 
became of them. 

When our foreparents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God, 
they had to leave the garden of Eden. I do not believe 



THE RUIN OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE. 395 

he loves his people today a bit better than he loved them 
then. If God would not allow them to stay in his gar- 
den and disobey him, he will not allow us to remain in 
his kingdom, or church, and sin against him. We find 
that he not only put a curse upon the man and the woman, 
but he also put a curse on the earth, saying that it 
should bring forth thorns and thistles. In the days of 
Noah thousands of people were buried in a liquid grave, 
all on account of disobedience and rebellion against God. 
When we remember these things, we are reminded of 
what sin and disobedience has done. 

It is fatal to disobey God, yet men will do so. There 
are contagious diseases in this world that men are afraid 
of, but sin is the worst disease that the universe has ever 
known. Sin is the most expensive thing in the universe ; 
nothing else can cost so much, yet men will go into sin 
with their eyes wide open. 

While God is a God of love, he is also a God of se- 
verity. He will be faithful to fulfil his promises to his 
children, and he is just as sure to fulfil his threats and 
pour out his wrath on the disobedient. If God would 
allow men to disobey him, and not punish them, it would 
cast reflection on him who made the law and leave the 
impression that he was a weak-minded being and that 
his laws were not good. Sinner, you had better repent 
and turn from all of your transgressions, so iniquity will 
not be your ruin. Sinner friend, that means you; in- 
iquity will be your ruin if you do not repent. So many 
say, "I expect to repent some day." Perhaps you have 
come to this meeting with the expectation of getting saved ; 
you have paid your car-fare and have come for miles, 
but the enemy is trying to get you to put it off. If you 
do not watch, you will go away unsaved and your poor 
soul may be lost, lost in eternity's night. I pray God to 
awaken you to see this. 

Jesus of Nazareth has been passing by. When he was 



386 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

on his way to Jericho, and the blind man heard him and 
the multitude passing by, he asked, "What does this 
mean?" Somebody answered, "Jesus of Nazareth is 
passing by." Then the blind man cried, "Son of David, 
have mercy on me." There was something in his voice 
that appealed to the heart of Jesus, and he stopped. 
Jesus' heart beat in compassion for him, and he com- 
manded them to bring him to him. Then casting away 
his garment, the blind man rose and came to Jesus. "Je- 
sus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I 
should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, 
Lord, that I may receive my sight." It was a good thing 
he called on him then, for Jesus went on his way to 
Jericho and never passed that way any more. It was 
his time to get healed. Sinner, Jesus has been passing 
this way and knocking at your heart so that you could 
not keep the tears from your eyes. He has stopped for 
a few days and has been calling men to him; many 
have cast aside their sins and have come to him. That is 
the thing you had better do; if you do not, sin will ruin 
you forever. 

It is an evident fact that sin must be destroyed, or it 
will destroy you. Oh, think of the millions of lovely 
homes that sin has destroyed ! Think of the sad hearts 
it has made! Think of the many bitter tears that have 
been shed on account of sin ! See the millions of dollars 
that have been spent for courthouses, jails, insane asy- 
lums, and thousand of other things, all on the account of 
sin! Shall we hold our peace and keep still? Never! 
It looks to me as though it is time that every man and 
woman, boy and girl, were lifting their voices against 
sin. It has cursed our nation. Yet we have men who 
will stand behind the sacred desk and plead for sin. 
Shame, shame on such men! If you could only go to 
the gate of hell tonight, you would hear lost souls weep- 
ing and wailing; and if they could have a conversation 



THE RUIN OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE. 397 

with the preacher that pleads for sin, they would say, 
"Oh! don't plead for sin, for that is the very thing that 
has ruined us." On the other hand, if you could go to 
the gate of heaven and talk with the redeemed, they 
would say, "Do not live in sin, for this place is too pure, 
too holy, for sin to enter." Then I repeat, Sin must be 
destroyed, or it will some day destroy you. 

God has made ample provision for you to get rid 
of sin, if you will take his way; but you can continue to 
sin against God until, by and by the Spirit of God will 
leave you, the door of mercy will be closed, and your 
heart will be so hardened that the gospel will have no 
effect upon you. Perhaps when Noah was building the 
ark, some passed around and took notice of him and 
asked him what he was building and why. No doubt, 
they said that he was crazy. Maybe others who may 
have believed him to some extent, got off and talked to 
each other and said: "Perhaps that old man is right. 
There may come just such a flood as he says will come. 
Perhaps we had better get up a little closer to the ark 
than we are, for you see we are away out here in the 
hills several miles, and if there was to be such a flood as 
he says there will be, we would be sure to drown. Let 
us get within a few rods of the ark anyway." So they 
got up where they could see the old man work. After a 
while he and his family went in and God closed the door. 
It began to rain; the rivers began to swell; then the 
banks overflowed and the hills were all covered; and, 
behold, those so near the ark were no better off than 
those miles away. If they had got close enough to touch 
the ark, it would have done no good. The only individ- 
uals that were saved were the ones in the ark. The ones 
on the outside were lost. 

So it is today. People hear about hell and damnation 
and the awful day of judgment, and think, "Maybe there 
is such a thing as this old world's going to be burned up 



398 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

as Peter foretold. Perhaps we had better prune off some 
of our big sins and reform to some extent." But after 
a while death comes and calls them into eternity. And 
what then? They will be no better off than the man 
that went on in open rebellion against God. It is not 
the man who is near Christ that will be saved, but the 
man who is in Christ. You must be in Christ. Simply 
getting near by and becoming a moral man will never 
save you. You must do as Isaiah has said, "Let the 
wicked forsake his ways." Quit the business of sin, or 
iniquity will be your ruin. 

"Well," says one, "I have repented to some extent; 
I have given up my big sins." God can not put his 
approval upon you until you have given up all sin. I 
heard of a man who was digging a well; they windlassed 
the earth out by a rope and a tub. One evening when 
the well was several feet deep, the man in the well wanted 
to come up; so he filled his tub as usual, put in his pick 
and shovel and the rest of his tools, then got in him- 
self, and asked the man on top of the ground to wind- 
lass him up. But the man said, "Why, man, what is 
the trouble? I can't draw you up; the tub must be 
fast." "No, it is not fast," was the answer. "Then what 
makes it so heavy?" "Oh, I am trying to bring all of 
my tools and a tub of dirt along." The man on top 
said, "I can't begin to bring all of that load at once. I 
will have to let you stay unless you unload some of these 
things." That is the way with the sinner. He is in the 
well of sin; some sins he can easily give up, but others 
he holds tenaciously to, and wants God to windlass him 
out. Some people want to bring their old pipes and some 
tobacco with them, and they begin to pray, but they can 
not get relief. The reason is that they have not given 
up all. The Lord will just let them stay until they get 
sick of sin and give up the whole business. 

If you begin to think that you are something and that 



THE RUIN OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE. 399 

God would be a great loser if he were to pass you by, 
you are mistaken. You must see your unworthy, lost con- 
dition. A man under conviction sees himself lost on the 
way to hell. I did not have to get sanctified in order to 
stop sinning, neither did I have to get justified, but con- 
viction enabled me to go out of the business of sin. The 
man under conviction will gladly quit his sins just as he 
would drop a hot iron. You do not have to beg him 
to let go. And instead of thinking he is a very good 
man, he will feel that there are better souls in hell than 
he is. I like to see people get under old-time conviction, 
so that when they come to the altar they will begin to 
weep and beg for mercy to get rid of sin, so iniquity will 
not be their ruin. 

In the 18th and 19th chapters of Genesis we read 
about the city of Sodom, a very valuable city. An im- 
mense amount of energy had been expended to erect all 
those buildings, and the people might have thought that 
God was too loving and too good to destroy their city; 
but we find that on account of sin and disobedience the 
city was burned to ashes. The Lord rained upon Sodom 
and Gomorrah fire and brimstone. God told Lot to 
escape for his life and not to look back. Lot's wife 
looked back, and she became a pillar of salt, all because 
she disobeyed God. 

God once sent an old prophet to the city of Bethel 
to deliver a message, charging him not to eat bread nor 
drink water while in that place. The prophet went down, 
delivered his message, and started back home, but becom- 
ing somewhat fatigued, he stopped to rest under an oak- 
tree. Here a lying, deceiving prophet from Bethel came 
up and said, "Art thou the man of God that earnest from 
Judah?" And he said, "I am." Then the prophet of 
Bethel invited the prophet of Judah to return home with 
him and eat bread. But the prophet of Judah refused, 
saying that the Lord had forbidden him to eat or drink 



400 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

in Bethel. Then the prophet of Bethel said that he also 
was a prophet and that an angel had sent him to bring 
the other prophet back and refresh him. So he influ- 
enced him to return. Poor man ! he lost sight of what 
God showed him at first. While they were eating the 
old prophet of Bethel said, "Thou hast disobeyed the 
mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment 
which the Lord thy God commanded thee. Thy car- 
cass shall not come unto the sepulcher of thy fathers." 
And so he was destroyed by a lion as he returned, all 
because of sin and disobedience. The poor man had bet- 
ter not lost sight of what God showed him at the first. If 
he had stayed by that, he would not have got into trouble. 

Jonah got into deep trouble and very nearly caused a 
ship and its crew to be buried at sea, all because he 
disobeyed God. All of these examples show us how God 
looks at sin. 

While king Nebuchadnezzar walked in the palace of the 
kingdom Babylon one day, he said, "Is not this great Bab- 
ylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the 
might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" 
Oh, see the exalted spirit in the man! While the word 
was in his mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, 
that his kingdom was departed from him, and that he 
should be driven from men, and should dwell with the 
beast of the field and eat grass as the oxen. And so 
he did. His body was wet with the dew of heaven till 
his hair had grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails 
like bird's claws. See what a curse fell on that king, 
all because of sin! 

Some one says, "I don't intend to live in sin very 
long; that is, I don't intend to stay in it long enough 
for it to ruin me." The most wicked man that ever 
lived perhaps did not intend to die in sin, but alas! he 
did. Sinner, remember that the way of sin is a broad, 
dark, slippery way. A man in a dark, slippery way does 



THE RUIN OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE. 401 

not intend to slip, but he slips and falls just the same. 
Go to the prisons and penitentiaries of our cities and 
take a look behind the bars at those pale-faced men. 
Ask them how long they have been in that house of 
bondage. One says, "Twenty years." "How did it hap- 
pen that you were put in prison?" Tears begin to flow 
down his face as he answers, "I did not intend to come 
to this place, but one day I flew into a fit of passion and 
violated the law and had to suffer the penalty." 

I would to God that I could make you see and feel 
what an awful thing it is to sin against God ! Remember, 
if you do not get forgiveness you will have to suffer 
through the ceaseless ages of eternity. Every day that 
rolls over your head brings you closer to the final reckon- 
ing-day. 



402 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

The Church of God. 

In the Auditorium, Saturday morning, June 14, 
by W. F. Chapel. 

I call your attention to the 3 2d verse of the 5th chap- 
ter of Ephesians: "This is a great mystery: but I speak 
concerning Christ and the church." Many of us have 
thought a great deal on this subject. It is not a new 
one to us; and yet in camp-meetings like this, and in 
other places, it may be that there are many people who 
have not as yet discerned the real body of Christ as it 
is set forth in the Word of the Lord. There was a time 
when I did not see clearly the one body of Christ, the 
church of the living God. If you will allow me to tell 
you just a few words about it here, it will give you some 
idea of the importance of setting forth the real truth of 
God on this subject. 

PROVIDENTIAL LEADINGS. 

Some years ago I was a Baptist preacher. I was pas- 
tor of four congregations when I first heard the doctrine 
of sanctification. At that time I had never considered 
the subject of sanctification. Of course, I had read 
something about it in the Word of God, but we had been 
so traditionized and taught that this was an experience for 
folks in heaven, that we did not think much about it for 
folks on earth; consequently we never gave it considera- 
tion. 

As I started to say, at this time I had sold my home 
in North Carolina and started to locate in Kentucky, 
and I was fully intending to set up my kind of Baptist 
church in that country. On my way to the new place, 
however, God put his providential hand upon me. It 
was my happy lot to drop into a meeting where there 
was a man preaching the doctrine of sanctification sub- 
sequent to justification. Soon af^er this I saw that it 



THE CHURCH OF GOD. 403 

was my privilege to obtain the experience of entire 
sanctification. I went out to preach it, thinking that 
everybody that had salvation would want the experience. 
I went boldly to set it forth before my people, the Bap- 
tists. I was soon pronounced a heretic and was soon ex- 
communicated from that society for preaching the truth. 

Of course, I did not know just what to do. The 
Methodist people said to me., "You come over with us; 
we believe in holiness." I did not know what to do. I 
wanted the place in this world where I could do the most 
good. But I did not join the M. E's. I wanted to be 
of the most use possible. So when I came to the State 
where I now live I met with some people who had been 
excommunicated from the Methodist church. There were 
quite a number of folks that did not know what to do; 
so we arranged to get together and form ourselves into 
some organization or holiness band. 

We met one Sunday morning on which I was to deliver 
some kind of discourse that would be effectual. We had 
been praying, seeking God, and studying his Word. I 
said, "Lord, we have been confused and tangled up, we 
want some truth on this subject. We want to do the 
right thing. As I was pouring over the eternal truth of 
God, I began to see that there was no place for human 
structure in the church of God. Everything seemed to 
point me to the body of Christ, the church, to the fact 
that we are all baptized by the one Spirit into this body. 
That Sunday morning. God brought before me the church 
of God — the one body. T delivered the message and 
went home. No one said anything about organizing, be- 
cause we realized where we were. We were already 
organized by Christ, the divine Organizer. 

THE CHURCH IS SUBSTANTIALLY BUILT. 

In Matt. 16:18 we read that Christ said, "Upon this 
rock I will build my church; and the gsates of hell shall 



404 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

not prevail against it." That has been an encourage- 
ment to me. When the devil would bring in different 
things that would try to hinder the cause of God, that 
text would be one consolation. "The gates of hell shall 
not prevail against it." 

There were different opinions about Christ. Some 
thought he was Elijah, some John the Baptist, some a 
great prophet. Jesus said to the disciples, "Whom do 
ye say that I am?" Peter boldly answered, "Thou art 
the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then he gave 
Peter to understand that he had rightfully said it, and 
that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church. 
We understand then that Jesus built the church, it is his 
building. In another sense she is also his bride. Christ's 
mission to this world was to purchase a bride for him- 
self. The church is the bride of Christ and is composed 
of all the saved in heaven and in earth. 

GOD ADDS THE MEMBERS. 

In Acts 2:41-47 we read, "Then they that gladly 
received his word were baptized: and the same day there 
were added unto them about three thousand souls. And 
they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and 
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and 
signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed 
were together, and had all things common: and sold 
their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, 
as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with 
one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house 
to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness 
of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the 
people. And the Lord added to the church daily such 
as should be saved." 

The people had been regenerated by the Spirit of God, 
and Christ had commanded them to assemble in Jerusa- 



THE CHURCH OF GOD. 405 

lem and to tarry for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 
Upon that memorable occasion when God poured out the 
Holy Spirit upon them they got bold to tell others about 
it; and while Peter was preaching, people began to con- 
sider the matter and got under conviction, like they will 
today when we are under the anointing and are bap- 
tized with power from on high. People get under con- 
viction when the minister has the power of the Holy 
Ghost upon him. Peter preached to them. They were 
convicted, and they cried out and said, "Men and breth- 
ren, what shall we do?" And Peter told them to repent 
and be baptized for the remission of sins and they should 
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The people that 
were saved were together. They were not yet divided and 
sub-divided. They had all things common. In the 47th 
verse he said they were praising God. That is the con- 
sequence of unity. When the people of God are together 
they naturally praise the Lord. 

The Bible says that the Lord added to the church 
such as should be saved. That is the Lord's business. 
Some folks get an idea that unless we are divided up in 
the creeds of men, we are a kind of wanderers, without 
any resting place. They do not seem to understand the 
fact that the church of God existed hundreds of years 
before any man-made institutions. Many of them are 
sincere, as you and I were. They think we are making 
an awful mistake in coming out of the church, as they 
call it. We need to be loving and kind to them. God 
forbid that we should ever get harsh with them. They 
do not understand that when a man is born of the Spirit 
of God he is a child of God, and is born into the church 
of the living God. They think the church is a kind of 
human mansion to be opened by man. I am glad the 
Lord does the adding to his church. Whom does he add 
to it? Such as get saved. Those are the only people 
that the Lord does add — such as are being saved from 



406 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

sin. He does not add any sinners to his church. There 
may be some among the congregation professing, but 
they are not in the real church. I pray God to help 
us to see this. Jesus built the church. It is his busi- 
ness to add to it, and I am willing to let him do it. What 
I want today is to get people added to the church. We 
must try to get people into the church and not try to get 
them into something else; but try to get them saved and 
redeemed, and that puts them into the church. 

In Heb. 8: 2 the apostle Paul describes the sanctuary, 
of the which the church of God is the anti-type. "A 
minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, 
which the Lord pitched, and not man." The Lord 
pitched the church. Men have been so traditionized as 
to take it into their own hands to organize the church. 
They are away behind the times because Jesus did that. 
The sooner you find this out the better it will be for you. 

Now since there is a church we understand there must 
be some way of induction into it. Jesus, at one time, 
talking about this church, represented it as a sheepfold, 
himself as the great Chief Shepherd, and his followers 
the sheep of the fold. I am glad the Lord used that 
term. Sheep are real innocent creatures. In John 10: 9 
he goes on to say that hirelings are not the shepherds; 
that they would flee when they saw the wolf coming. 
He tells us he is the true shepherd. "All that ever 
came before me," said he, "are thieves and robbers: but 
the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if 
any man enter in, he shall be saved." You believe that 
is the way? After I found that out, man-made doors 
never troubled me. I could take the roadside for my 
pulpit; I could take a stump and preach to men and 
women. After I learned that it was out of the power of 
human strength to close the door of the real church 
against me, that gave me a great deal of consolation. 
Some people are always bothered on that line. One man 



THE CHURCH OF GOD. 407 

I remember in Tennessee, said, "They are going to turn 
me out of the church," and he was losing sleep over it. 
Jesus Christ is the door, so you need not get bothered 
about getting turned out of the true church. After I 
found that out I did not have trouble any more about 
folks turning me out. I am glad I am in the church of 
God, and that I got in through Jesus the door, which 
door man can not close. "Behold, I have set before thee 
an open door, and no man can shut it." Rev. 3:8. If 
you do not get in through Christ, the living door, into 
the church of God, some day that door will be shut and 
you will be left outside. Though you may belong to 
human institutions, you will never find satisfaction until 
you get into the real kingdom of Jesus Christ; but when 
you get in, then you are satisfied. 

THE CHURCH IS PURE. 

The real church of God today is a spotless church. If 
you can get to see that today, perhaps it will banish 
from your mind a great many difficulties. I want you 
to look into the Bible this morning and view it as it is. 
The wife of Christ is pure; she is holy; she is spot- 
less and undefiled. The Word of God sets it forth that 
way. Sectarian religious organizations are mixed up 
with the evils of this world, and carry on their business 
in a worldly way. They can not represent the church 
of God, because God's church is pure and spotless. 

In Eph. 5:25 we read, "Husbands, love your wives, 
even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself 
for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the 
washing of water by the word." There are a great 
many man-made churches that do not believe in sancti- 
fication. Look here, that denies the very mission of 
Jesus for the church. Are you sanctified this morning? 
Have you got the blessing? I can't preach on sanctifica- 
tion now, but I pray God to make you hungry for it. 



408 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Jesus not only prayed for lost sinners, and people bow- 
ing around the cross and saying, "Hail, King of the 
Jews"; but he prayed for believers that they might be 
sanctified and cleansed, that he might present them to 
himself a glorious church. His church today is a glori- 
ous church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; 
it is holy and without blemish. That is the way God 
has placed the church in this world. 

In Songs of Sol. 4> : 7, Solomon sang in that wonder- 
ful hymn about the church of Jesus. He said, "Thou 
art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee." Praise 
God for a spotless and pure church! It does my soul 
good to think about it. Man-made churches have so 
apostatized from their own principles of trnlh they used 
to hold sacred that they have gone into the cook-stove 
business to carry on their affairs. But the church of 
God does not have to do that. She does not need any 
church festivals nor fairs. The man-made institutions 
today called churches are so destitute of the principles 
of the church of God that they carry on their business 
entirely through human machinery, and in such a way 
that God can not approve of them. May God help us 
to see that they are not the church of God. Now do 
not get scared if you are in the church of God and 
have not seen this truth, but shout the victory and assert 
your freedom from all these worldly things. God's pure 
spotless church is still in existence today, and will con- 
tinue to stand until Jesus comes. 

In 1 John 3 : 1 we read, "Behold what manner of love 
the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be 
called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth 
us not, because it knew him not." God's church is sepa- 
rated from this world with all of its evil ways. The 
devil and the people that love this world have been 
against Christ and his church from the earliest dawn 
of its existence until now. God wants to keep us so 



THE CHURCH OF GOD. 409 

separated from this old world that we will not be con- 
taminated with any of its evils. The world knows us 
not, because it knew him not. "Now are we the sons 
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: 
but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be 
like him; for we shall see him as he is." The world 
knew him not. John 17 says, "They are not of the 
world." I want to say that a person who is saved and 
sanctified is dead to this old world, so dead that it has 
not any charm for him. God bless your soul, the fairs 
and festivals and shows and operas have no charm for 
us. We do not have to hold ourselves so that we will not 
go, because we are dead to these things. We have gotten 
out of the world. If we are the people of God, we are 
not of this world. Sister, that dress that looks more 
like a meal-sack than a dress will not have any charm 
for you. God help us to know that we are not of this 
world, even as Christ is not of this world. Somebody 
says, "You are going to accuse me." Not if you have 
salvation, for you are going to rejoice in the truth. I 
praise God for the truth. There is nothing like it. 

A man one time stood and looked on the saints. Tears 
were running down his face. He was a poor hard- 
hearted sinner, and he was weeping and trembling. He 
said, "That is the most beautiful sight that I ever be- 
held." He saw a company of people neatly and nicely 
dressed, respectable and clean, and they were falling 
on each other's necks and kissing each other good-by. 
He said, "I never saw that before." I want to tell you 
that there is nothing that can excel the real church of 
God. 

May God help us to see that there is nothing more 
beautifully arrayed in this world than the church of God, 
adorned with a meek and quiet spirit, not with the out- 
ward adornment of this old world. I am going to stay 
in the middle of the road. There is danger of the peo- 



410 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

pie compromising and becoming spotted with the fads 
and fashions of this world until they have a name to live 
but are dead. God help us to keep filled with the Spirit 
of God and we will always be a pure church. "Every 
man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as 
he is pure." 1 John 3: 3. God bless your soul, that will 
make a clean church. Jesus is pure. The church is 
pure. Are you not glad of it ? Her very raiment is rep- 
resented as pure. She is arrayed in linen, clean and 
white; for the clean linen is the righteousness of the 
saints. 

CHRIST IS THE HEAD. 

Jesus is the head of the church. Somebody says, "Oh, 
the pope is the head." That is getting the thing back- 
wards. Can I prove that? I think I can. That is 
recorded in Col. 1:18, "And he is the head of the body, 
the church." Christ being the head, what we need to do, 
is to be submissive to him. If we are guided by him, we 
are guided aright. We know folks who have made the 
mistake of not being willing for the bend to govern the 
body. He is the head of the body. We want the head 
to govern the body. And whenever the head governs the 
body, we work in harmony, and if we go according to the 
head, we will go right. We are bound to do that. Even 
though there are many members, they will all have to 
go together according to the dictation of the head. In 
Colossians we find this text: "And he [Christ] is the 
head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the 
firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have 
the preeminence." But he does not have the preemi- 
nence in the human structures of today. What is the 
church of God? It is the body of Christ. Eph. 1 : 22. 
What is it composed of? It is composed of saved men 
and women. Certainly it is. How many of the saved 
men and women of the world make up the body of 



THE CHURCH OF GOD. 411 

Christ? All of them. Eph. 4:4. How many bodies 
would that make? There is just one head to govern one 
body, and the one body is the church, and Christ himself 
is the living head of that church. Eph. 4:15. Jesus 
has nothing to do with church festivities. Christ has 
the preeminence. He is the head of the body, the church, 
and he is not in partnership with the devil, to run church 
business. 

I want to notice again that he will have the preemi- 
nence. In Col. 1 : 23-24 : "If ye continue in the faith 
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the 
hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was 
preached to every creature which is under heaven; 
whereof I Paul am made a minister; who now rejoice 
in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is be- 
hind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's 
sake, which is the church." That is it. It is the body 
of Christ. 

In the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians, we read, "For 
by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether 
we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free: 
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." Thank 
God, brethren and sisters, all different nations and kin- 
dred, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, have 
all been made to drink into one Spirit. Everybody that 
belongs to the church of God is baptized into it by the 
same Spirit, and everybody that has been baptized with 
the Spirit, is baptized into that one church. That ought 
to keep the church from getting divided. How many 
spirits? One Spirit. The Word says in the 4th chap- 
ter of Ephesians that there is one Lord, one faith, one 
baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, 
and through all, and in you all." Thank God today that 
it is just that way! We are baptized into the one body. 
This one body is the church of God. The Lord named 
it that. 



412 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

I remember when I first went to our home town to 
get the ticket agent to sign up my blank to get rates 
over the railroad. On that blank it said, "What denomi- 
nation do you belong to?" I put it, "The church of God." 
The agent looked at it in astonishment and said, "I 
never heard of that church." I tell you, people need to 
read the Bible. It is a sad thought that men can be 
so traditionized that they never see the church of God. 
Is it not a sad thing today that the traditions of men 
have so hid away this wonderful truth from the eyes 
of mankind until they do not know there is such a thing? 
This is a wonderful subject. It would take hours to 
get through with it. I can only touch the subject briefly 
this morning. 

THE NAME AND THE RECORD. 

Isaiah said the Lord named the church. We ought 
to be satisfied with the name the Lord gave it — the 
church of God. I pray God to help us to be satisfied 
with his church and not look for anything better. This 
is the best thing I have found. I am not looking for 
anything else. Somebody said, "But you folks have a 
kind of a loose arrangement; you don't keep anybody's 
names: you can't tell who are your members." There is 
a lot of truth in that, but we do know that Jesus has 
a class book and he keeps the names and knows who 
are his members. We are often asked, "Where are the 
names of your members kept?" Our names are written 
in heaven. The Lord has a class book in which he keeps 
the names of his children. I am glad he did not leave 
me the job of keeping the books. I would have made 
a failure of it. The Lord does not make any mistake. 
He knows whom he has pardoned. They accepted Jesus 
Christ. The recording angel put their names down. 
After a while he will call our names and give us the 
glorious inheritance with the saints on high because 



THE CHURCH OF GOD. 418 

our names are written in heaven. The Lord admits to 
those mansions only those whose names can be found in 
the Lamb's book of life. 

You are going to come to the judgment some day and 
there is a book going to be opened. Say, when you 
stand there before God and he opens this book, will you 
find a clear record? Suppose your record is all stained 
with sin. Beside your name you read, "Adultery." You 
can not enter in. If your record reads that way when 
you stand before the judgment, what will be the sen- 
tence? "Step to the left there." Again, beside your 
name you see "Malice." You knew it was there. You 
remember that your heart was full of it down here. 
There will be no mistake about the book up yonder. Peo- 
ple will have to bow their heads and be speechless. It 
behooves us then to keep our record clear. Perhaps 
"Hatred" stands by the side of your name. That will shut 
you out of heaven. There stands that little word "Va- 
riance," enough to shut you out of heaven. I pray God 
to help you to see. Or opposite your name you may see 
written, "Covetousness." Somebody says, "Be careful." 
I am going to be careful to preach the Word of God. 
Sin will shut you out of heaven. The church of God is 
free from covetousness, and if you find that beside your 
name, you will go with the nations that forget God. An- 
other record may read, "Wrath." You will remember 
how you got mad. Ah, you must get rid of anger. There 
stands that word, "Pride." May God help you to see 
that this is a sin. It is the most common sin today, and 
it is standing against hundreds and thousands of people. 

When we stand before God and the books are opened, 
we want sin out of the way. If our record is clean, 
none of these things standing against us, then we shall 
hear these words: "Come, ye blessed of my Father." 
We shall not have to drop our heads and stand speech- 
less, but we shall shout the victory because we shall have 



414 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

the crown. Only those that are saved from sin can 
enter heaven. Some can not understand the people of 
God. God's people are peculiar. Salvation is a mystery 
to the world but we have learned the mystery. It is 
revealed to the people of God. 

Some day God will drop the vail of immortality 
and let us swing away from this world to the glory 
world, where we can unite with that portion of the fam- 
ily of God on the other side. That will be a great day. 
I expect to see each saint of God that has ever trod 
this earth, not only the company that lives in this evening 
time, but those who have lived during the ages of the 
past. We shall hear them tell the story of God's dealings 
with them. 

God bless you, brethren, live faithful. I pray God 
that he will so illumine our hearts on this subject that 
we shall individually keep ourselves in the attitude in 
which we can be an example to this world. God's church 
is a beautiful church and a powerful church. The 
prophet described it as fair as the moon, clear as the 
sun, and terrible as an army with banners. May God 
help us to keep it that way. The devil must retreat be- 
fore this army of saints; the powers of hell must fall. 
They can not stand God's eternal truth. The creeds of 
men must fall to demerit. Then as we go to our fields 
of labor, let us remember we belong to one common fam- 
ily and that Christ is our great head. 



ORDINANCE OF FEET WASHING. 415 



Ordinance of Feet-Washing. 

In the Auditorium, Saturday afternoon, June 14, 
by N. S. Duncan. 

As my time is very much limited I do not feel that I 
can give this subject justice. Nevertheless, I shall say 
a few things before we proceed to observe this divine 
ordinance. We shall begin reading in Ezek. 45: "And 
if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show 
them the form of the house, and fashion thereof, . . . 
and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof : 
. . . that they may keep the whole form thereof and do 
them." This is part of the eleventh verse. 

If we are not very careful in our ministry we shall 
get the idea that the people understand these things so 
well that it is not necessary to say very much about them, 
and the first thing we know we shall have a host of saints 
observing this ordinance, not knowing just why they do 
so. You ask them why they observe these things, 
and they will say, "I don't know, only I know it is the 
custom of the saints to practice them, and I do because 
they do." We as ministers must remember that the 
older ones that have heard these things for years and 
have clearly understood them, will soon pass away; and 
the younger ones who are just coming into the light 
will take our places. It is good to keep these doctrinal 
points before the people. 

In Matt. 4 : 4. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by 
bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of 
the mouth of God." Feet-washing is an ordinance that 
Jesus Christ instituted; so if we were to leave out feet- 
washing we would not be living by every word that 
proceeded out of his mouth. Again we read in St. John 
12:48, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my 
words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have 
spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." Now 



416 • CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

if we are going to be judged by God's word in the last 
day, we had better obey it all or we will be weighed in 
the balances and found wanting. 

In the last commission Jesus gave he said, "Go ye 
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the 
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy 
Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 
have commanded you. And lo, I am with you alway, 
even unto the end of the world." He commanded them 
to teach the observing of all things he had commanded. 
Observe means to keep, to comply with, to practise. So 
when we get down and wash our brother's feet, we are 
complying with or observing just what Jesus said to 
do. 

One reason some have for not obeying this command — 
they say it is a Jewish custom. They ask questions 
like this: Is feet- washing an ordinance? We say yes. 
Then is not communion an ordinance? Yes. And 
baptism? Yes. Well, now, let us read Col. 2:14: 
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was 
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out 
of the way, nailing it to his cross." They say, "Don't 
you see the ordinances were nailed to the cross?" But 
remember, it was the Jewish ordinances that were 
nailed to the cross, and it is an evident fact that it was 
not a New Testament ordinance that was nailed to the 
cross, as the ordinances of feet-washing and the Lord's 
Supper were established only a few hours before Jesus 
suffered on the cross and they had not yet had an oppor- 
tunity to fulfil his command. If feet-washing had been 
an old Jewish custom Peter would have known all about 
what Jesus was going to do when he began to wash 
feet; but no, Jesus said, "What I do thou knowest not 
now; but thou shalt know hereafter." Some one asks, 
"Did not the Jews wash feet?" Yes; but not in the way 
Jesus was going at it. The custom was, when they 



ORDINANCE OF FEET WASHING. 417 

visited each other, to set a basin of water, and let the 
visitor wash his own feet. 

Now let us turn to the 13th chapter of St. John 
and see how plain Jesus makes the ordinance of feet- 
washing. We shall begin reading in the 4th verse. "He 
riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments, and 
took a towl and girded himself. After that he poureth 
water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, 
and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was 
girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter 
saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash feet? Jesus 
answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest 
not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith 
unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus an- 
swered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with 
me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet 
only, but also my hands and my head. * * * So after 
he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and 
was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what 
I have done unto you? Ye call me Master and Lord: 
and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and 
Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash 
one another's feet. For I have given you an example, 
that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, 
I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his 
lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent 
him." 

Now in these verses we have read, Jesus has used some 
very plain language, easy to be undertsood. It says 
he poured water into the basin and began to wash their 
feet. We all know what water is ; for we use that every 
day, and we know what f-e-e-t are. Now he says to 
them, "Ye call me Master and Lord; and ye say well, 
for so I am. Now if I then your Lord and Master have 
washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's 
feet." The word "ought" is about as strong as any word 



418 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

in the English language. It means duty-bound; obliga- 
tion. Then the real meaning of the text is: If I, your 
Lord, have washed your feet (and he did) you, then, 
are duty-bound or under obligation to wash one another's 
feet. When Jesus says we ought to do a thing we had 
better do it, for we read where a man was bound with 
chains and cast out into outer darkness, all because 
he did not do what he ought to have done. 

In the 15th verse Jesus says: "For I have given you 
an example, that you should do as I have done." An 
example is a copy, a model. So if we do as Jesus did 
we will have to wash literal feet, for Jesus did that. 
One preacher said, "If Jesus had said to do what he 
did then we would have thought that he meant to wash 
feet." Well, we could not do just exactly what Jesus did 
unless we would resurrect the twelve apostles and wash 
their feet; but thank God! we can do as he did— -wash 
feet. 

Some say it is just a lesson of humility. Well, if 
you have an unwillingness in your heart to obey this 
ordinance, it is an evident fact that you do not know 
your lesson very well. Suppose when you and I meet 
God at the judgment he begins to ask us some questions. 
First he begins on me and says, "Duncan, did you wash 
your brother's feet?" "Yes". "Why did you do that?" 
"Well, Lord, I read where thou saidst to live by every 
word, and I read where Jesus poured water into a basin 
and washed feet and said he gave us an example to 
follow. He further said that if he had washed feet, 
we ought to. Again, he said that we would be happy if 
we did. Now, Lord, that is why I have done so." I 
imagine that I can hear him say, "Thou good and faith- 
ful servant, enter into the joys of heaven. Then he turns 
to you and begins to ask you some things. He says, 
"Did you wash your brother's feet?" "No." "Did you 
ever read where I washed feet, and said you ought to 



ORDINANCE OF FEET WASHING. 419 

do as I had done?" "Well, yes." "Well, why did you 
not do it." "Well, I did not know you meant all you 
said, and our preacher said that it was not necessary 
to wash feet. He said to visit the sick and to take a 
widow woman a sack of flour, or put up the preacher's 
horse or black his shoes would take the place of feet- 
washing." "Ah! Thus have ye made the commandments 
of God of none effect by your tradition. Depart from 
me, for you have failed to do what you ought to have 
done." 

I think I hear some one say, "I don't feel I am worthy 
to wash feet, and to take the communion." Well, I 
am afraid if you are not worthy to observe these things 
you are not good enough to pass into glory; but if you 
are a saved man, you are a fit subject to observe these 
ordinances. 

Brethren, when you get down to wash your brother's 
feet you testify to him that you feel that you are his 
servant and prefer to sit at his feet. Ah! if we always 
feel like that, and have a spirit of humility, we shall 
never have any church trouble. Now as you observe 
these ordinances, do so with all of your soul, and expect 
God to open the windows of heaven and bless you as 
you obey this part of the Word. Do not allow the enemy 
to rob you of a blessing this afternoon. 



420 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



Ordinance of the Lord's Supper. 

In the Auditorium, Saturday afternoon, June 14, 
by J. N. Howard. 

"Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me 
in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered 
them to you." 1 Cor. 11:2. "For I have received of 
the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the 
Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took 
bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and 
said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for 
you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same 
manner he also took the cup, when he had supped, say- 
ing, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do 
ye as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as 
often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do 
show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore who- 
soever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the 
Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood 
of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let 
him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." 1 Cor. 
11:23-28. 

We ministers in the church of the living God rejoice 
over the fact that God did not lay upon us the respon- 
sibility of examining our brothers and sisters, but placed 
us on an equality with them, obligating us one and all to 
examine ourselves. Every one of us should examine 
himself and so eat of this bread and drink of this cup. 
"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and 
drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's 
body." Verse 29. 

As to who is worthy : every child of God, every brother 
and sister, is worthy. Some plead, I am not yet sanc- 
tified. You ought to be. I say you ought to be, be- 
cause God has ordained that every one of you be sancti- 



ORDINANCE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 421 

fied by a work subsequent to regeneration. Every man, 
woman, boy, or girl, who is justified, is a worthy subject 
to partake of this ordinance of God's house, instituted 
by the Lord Jesus Christ on the night before his be- 
trayal. If you are a child of God, you are worthy to par- 
ticipate. He has commanded us that we eat of this 
bread, and drink of this cup; and we both prove our 
love to him and to each other by thus humbly obeying 
him. 

I now read in 1 Cor. 10: 16, 17. "The cup of bless- 
ing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood 
of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the com- 
munion of the body of Christ?" The teaching of the 
Roman Catholic clergy is that by the act of the priest 
in blessing the bread and wine, they are changed into 
the veritable blood and body of Christ. This doctrine 
they label "Transubstantiation." Are the elements 
transformed into the real body and blood of Christ by 
the ceremony of the minister? No, they are bread and 
wine before we bless them, and they are still bread and 
wine afterwards. Hear the inspired apostle: "The cup 
of blessing which we bless." Is it the real blood? No. 
"Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?" "The 
bread which we break." Is it the real body? No. "Is 
it not the communion of the body of Christ?" Not the 
veritable blood and body, but the communion of the 
blood and body of Christ. By the fruit of the vine, is 
meant the grape juice, or unfermented wine. 

Here we have a loaf of wholewheat bread as a good 
representation of the body of Christ. We look on it in 
its entirety. It represents to us the oneness of the peo- 
ple of God, the unity of the body of Christ. In the 17th 
verse we read, "For we being many are one bread, and 
one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." 
Some translations render it "one loaf and one body." 

Brethren and sisters, as we participate in this ordi- 



422 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

nance, I pray God to help us to realize the solemnity of 
this occasion. Let us pray God to solemnize our hearts. 
Let us see to it that when we testify to each other and 
to those who are in our midst as on-lookers, that we are 
united, that we partake in such a way that we will stand 
acquitted before God. The Lord help us. 

"One loaf/' "one body." Thank God for the unity 
of his church. God help us to hold it in more sacred- 
ness than in the past. The two fundamental truths of 
the church of God are the unity and the purity of 
the people of God. The lateness of the hour will not 
permit me to prolong this talk. 

The same night he took bread and break it and gave 
thanks. "O God, our heavenly Father, with our hearts 
solemnized in thy presence this evening, we invoke thy 
blessing upon us as we participate in this sacred ordi- 
nance. We pray that thou wilt duly solemnize our 
hearts. We pray thy blessing upon this bread, and upon 
each participant in this sacred ordinance. God grant 
that we may, as we partake of this bread, and drink of 
this cup, truthfully testify to the unity of the people of 
God. We ask thy blessing upon us and this emblem 
in Jesus' name. Amen." 

In like manner he took the cup after supper and gave 
thanks. "Our heavenly Father, we praise thee for this 
sacred opportunity of partaking of this ordinance. We 
praise thee for the gift of thy dear Son. We thank thee, 
O God, for his shed blood that has washed us from our 
sins, and subsequently sanctified us. O God, we pray 
thy blessing upon the contents of this cup. We pray 
thy blessing upon us as we partake. Bless each brother 
and sister. May we testify truthfully that the blood of 
which this is an emblem, has cleansed us from all sin. 
We humbly ask it in Jesus' name. Amen." 



APPROVED UNTO GOD. 423 

Approved Unto God. 

Address to Ministers in Chapel, Sunday morning, June 15, 
by, J. N. Howard. 

The thought is brought to my heart this morning that 
God has counted us worthy to commit to our trust the 
gospel of Jesus Christ. He has seen fit to lay his hand 
upon us as ambassadors for Christ. I feel that each one 
of us should realize the responsibility that rests upon 
us as ambassadors. "To us/' said the apostle, "is the 
word of reconciliation committed." I want to quote a 
few texts of Scripture. First that text by the apostle to 
Timothy, a young minister, when he said, "Study to 
show thyself approved unto God." I wish to emphasize 
that before giving you the entire quotation. I would 
rather know this morning that God approved of me and 
have the censure of the whole world, than to have the 
sanction of the world and God's disapproval. If we 
are successful ministers of the New Testament, we must 
have God's approval upon the soul. We will be worse 
than a failure without it. And now, let us not forget 
that it is our duty to diligently, constantly apply our- 
selves to this matter, and pursue the course that God 
has marked out, so that we can have his approval upon 
us at all times. 

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a work- 
man that needeth not be ashamed." Who is there of us 
this morning but, looking back on our ministerial labors 
of the past, can call to mind some things in which we 
actually felt that we needed to be examined ? Now, your 
taking that position does not of necessity lower the 
standard of a gospel minister, but simply shows the 
humility of heart. 

The apostle says further, "Rightly dividing the Word 
of truth." My heart has been specially burdened along 
this line in the past year or more. This responsibility 



424 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

rests upon us: the necessity of being able, by grace and 
divine power, by that wisdom that comes from above, to 
rightly divide the Word of eternal truth. There is a 
text in Psalm 145 which says, "Thou givest them their 
meat in due season." The flock of God must be fed. 
God has ordained that at your hands and mine this food 
be dealt out to them, and it is necessary that you and 
I be so in touch with God and so acquainted with the 
Word of God, that we know what kind of food to deal 
out. If it is dealt out as God ordained it should be, the 
flock will thrive on it. They will increase and make 
progress in spirituality and in usefulness. 

I want to say to you that there is a possibility of our 
becoming awakened to the fact that some of us are 
responsible for the lack of advancement and lack of 
increase of spirituality in the church of God because of 
our not properly dealing out the spiritual food that God 
has ordained we should. You remember Paul said, 
"Take heed to thyself." There are too many that have 
not taken sufficient heed to themselves, and have not put 
themselves in a position where they can be in harmony 
with those that labor with them. 

Suppose some little idea of mine would arise between 
me and my brethren; shall I allow it to stop the work 
of the Lord in the salvation of souls ? If we are not 
careful to take the proper amount of heed to ourselves, 
to our lives and our ministry, to our actions, our words, 
and our home deportment, we may wake up to the fact 
sooner or later that we have been a real hindrance to 
the work, instead of a help. God forbid that any of us 
should allow ourselves to drift into such a condition as 
that, and become a hindrance or menace, instead of a 
help in propogating the cause of God and encouraging 
our brothers and sisters as we should. "Take heed 
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the 
which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed 



APPROVED UNTO GOD. 435 

the church of God, which he hath purchased with his 
own blood." Acts 20:28. Oh, the responsibility that 
rests upon us: the duty we owe to ourselves, to God, 
to each other, and to the church of God in general, of 
"rightly dividing the Word of truth." 

We should apply ourselves to prayerful and careful 
study of God's Word, looking to God for the wisdom 
and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without such guidance, 
we are of no use. Beloved, we must look diligently to 
God for the right interpretation of his Word, so that 
when we feel the hand of God upon us to deliver 
a message, we will have enough wisdom from God to en- 
able us to deliver it in such a way that the people will 
be benefited; and God will be glorified. There are 
things said in the Bible that God intended for sinners 
and for sinners only; and if we try, for lack of heav- 
enly wisdom, to apply these things to our brethren and 
sisters in the Lord, we are not rightly dividing the Word 
of truth. There are certain things said in this sacred 
volume that are meant for justified men and women only, 
for people in Christ. If we try to feed them the meat 
of the Word of God instead of giving them the sincere 
milk, they will not get along as fast as God intends 
they should. You will have to pray. There are things 
said in the Bible that God has meant for sanctified men 
and women only and if we as ministers say that every 
newly converted person must be as well established as 
one who started thirty years ago, we are not rightly 
dividing the Word of truth. There is no wisdom in such 
statements. We ought to be sure that what we say is 
right, we ought to weigh our words well before we make 
them public, because there may be some weak brother 
or sister that will take what the minister says without 
giving it due application. If we say something that is 
not right, we are accountable to God for whatever harm 
it may do. 



420 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Paul, in writing to Timothy, said, "Be thou an exam- 
ple to the believers." If I were going to give you my 
idea of a New Testament minister, I would say that it 
is that man or woman who is an example to the believer 
in word, and in doctrine. There is not one of us, be 
he ever so strong spiritually, but what he has at least 
one weak point. God counts us just as strong in his esti- 
mation as we are at our weakest point. God wants us to 
search diligently to find our weak points, if we do not 
already know them, and then to doubly fortify these 
weak points. 

Being an example is not a matter of having our own 
way. We enjoy the song, "God's way is best, I will 
not murmur, although the end I may not see." Let us 
find out what God's way is, and keep in continual re- 
membrance that text found in Ephesians where it says, 
"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond 
of peace." 

I remember a few instances in my Christian experi- 
ence when I thought that my way was right, and had it, 
but to my surprise, I was not satisfied. After I had 
tried a long while to make myself feel satisfied and could 
not, I thought that a thorough investigation would be a 
good thing for me. By investigating, I found out why 
I was not satisfied. We ought to be sure that our 
way is right, and until it is right, we ought not to be 
satisfied with it. 

Here is my brother. He is just as honest before God 
as I am; he lives as close in touch with God as I do; 
he can get something from God as soon as I can; and 
it looks equally as clear to him that his ideas are cor- 
rect, as it looks to me that mine are correct. Now what 
shall we do? This text applies: "Let us therefore, as 
many as be perfect, be thus minded; and if in anything 
ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto 
you." Phil. 2:15. Let every one treat others with the 



APPROVED UNTO GOD. 427 

respect due the brethren in the ministry, granting them 
the same courtesy that he desires extended to him. Then 
there will not be much chance for the devil to get in 
division. 



In the Chapel, Sunday morning, June 15, by C. E. Orr. 
Following the sermon by J. N. Howard. 

It has always been so very easy for me to see that 
my way was right, but it has not always been very easy 
for me to see that the other fellow was right. But I 
have learned some things, and one of them is this: that 
the other fellow is just as liable to be right as I. I 
think I have learned that. 

I remember being in Tennessee a few years ago where 
a congregation was having trouble. It was the matter 
of a cow. One brother bought a cow, and it got in 
and divided the church at that place. I spoke to one 
sinner in the neighborhood about his salvation, and he 
said, "You don't need to talk to me about salvation; you 
get that cow out of the church before you talk to me about 
salvation." That is the way he expressed it. Many 
times since that I have said in preaching that it will take 
something bigger than a cow to separate me from my 
brethren, and now I am not going to let some other 
things a great deal smaller than a cow separate me from 
my brethren. I can not afford to do that. 

And I have found out, too, that the church of God is 
too big for me to carry. Sometimes I would like to do 
that. I would just feel as if I had all the responsibility. 
When some things were not going just right, oh, it was 
hard to let them go and let God take care of them. I 
would try to have them go as I thought they should ; but 
I have found out that the church of God is too big for 
me to carry, so I just have to submit it to God, and God 
is able to take care of it, even if it is not going just the 



428 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

way that I think it ought to go. I believe that God will 
bring it out all right. That is just where I am standing, 
with love for all my brethren. It will take something 
more than I have seen yet to separate me from my 
brethren. When something has come up in the church 
that did not meet with my approval, I have thought, "It 
will go too far, but I guess I had better wait until that 
happens." 

I have my heart and soul in the work of God and 
still have a love for this old-time truth, just as it was 
preached in the past. I believe I would rather see it 
that way, but I will be humble and by the grace of God, 
live right and not allow little things to separate me from 
my brethren. Let us have our hearts and our faith 
united and strive together for the work of the Lord. I 
believe this is God's reformation. Years ago I said that 
one might just as well stand by the ocean side and en- 
deavor to keep back the tide as to try keeping back this 
reformation. So I am with you and desire your prayers 
that God will help me to be so humble that I shall be 
willing to submit my way at any time and let God have 
a chance to teach me his way. 



THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE WORLD. 429 

The Gospel to All the World. 

In the Auditorium, Sunday morning, June 15, 
by H. M. Rigrgrle. 

I call your attention to the 16th chapter of the Gos- 
pel by St. Mark, the 15th and 16th verses. "And he 
said unto them. Go ye into all the world, and preach the 
gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is bap- 
tized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be 
damned." 

This was the last solemn charge that Christ gave to 
his ministry before he left the world. This sweeping 
-commission applied to all of God's ministry and to the 
church of God as a whole in all the ages of the world. 
Upon its being carried out hangs the eternal destiny of 
a lost world. It is my purpose this morning to give you 
a brief idea of the sweep of this wonderful commission, 
and the great responsibility resting upon us in carrying 
it out. If you will give me your close attention I am 
sure you will have a higher conception and a better 
comprehension of God's plan and work, and of the great 
reformation that is now sweeping over the earth in this 
evening time. 

The spread of the gospel is not to be confined to one 
country or nation, but is universal. This commission is 
universal. "Go ye into all the world and preach the 
gospel to every creature." Matthew words it like this: 
"Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of 
the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teach- 
ing them to observe all things whatsoever I have com- 
manded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto 
the end of the world." The law, in the old dispensa- 
tion was applicable only to one nation. It was binding 
upon the Jews as a nation. The Gentile nations were 
without the law. They had no privilege of the law, 
unless they came as proselytes among the Jews. But 



430 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

the gospel of Christ is to all nations. It is intended to 
reach each nation under the sun because it is the only 
hope of salvation for a lost and ruined world. Hence, 
the importance of carrying its message to every nook 
and corner of the globe. It has pleased God through the 
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, and 
without the preaching of the gospel no man will ever be 
saved. The gospel carries the tidings of salvation to 
lost men and women, and without it they are lost and 
ruined forever. 

In presenting this subject, I will consider the follow- 
ing thoughts: First. The basis of this great universal 
charge. Second. The history and progress of Chris- 
tianity in fulfilling the commission. Third. The work 
yet to be accomplished. Fourth. The signs of the 
times, and the Lord's leading and preparation for its ac- 
complishment. 

FOUNDATION OF THE COMMISSION. 

This commission has underneath it a foundation that 
is deep and eternal. If we learn to understand the 
foundation upon which the commission was predicated, 
we shall get a better comprehension of the commission 
itself. There is first, a universal need. "All have sinned 
and come short of the glory of God" ; and, since all have 
sinned, all are lost. The whole human family, all of 
Adam's race, are lost. I know it is hard for some people 
to comprehend that fact, but it is true. Since it is a fact 
that all have sinned, all are lost. From the benighted 
heathen to the most enlightened of the wbrld today, all 
have sinned; all are lost. 

Says one, "Do you mean to say the children are lost?" 
They would be if it were not for the atonement. There 
is one hope for them, and, thank God, they all have that 
hope. They are by nature the children of wrath, but 
through the merits of the atonement, being in a state of 



THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE WORLD. 431 

innocence, they are saved. Jesus tasted death for every 
man. Some people have an idea that children do not 
need the atonement. Jesus gave himself a ransom for 
every man. That is, for all mankind, every son and 
daughter of Adam. Every child that dies in infancy is 
saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. I expect to 
join in with all the little children over in the glory world, 
and celebrate the praises of God, singing redemption's 
song. They will have washed their little robes and made 
them white in the same blood we have. 

The need is universal. I will dwell in particular upon 
that part that applies to men and women after they 
come to the years of knowledge of good and evil. All the 
world is now on probation. Having transgressed the law 
of God, they are lost, and need to be saved. All men 
are under law to God, and they are conscious of it in 
their very being and nature. Something tells them there 
is a Maker, and his displeasure rests upon their souls 
because of sin. The need is universal. Nobody will 
deny that. Since the need is universal, the commission 
must be universal: "Go ye into all the world and preach 
the gospel to every creature." 

The commission rests upon God's universal love. "God 
so loved the world, that he gave his Son." Do you know 
what that means? It means all humanity. He loved 
the world. God loved this lost world. He so loved it 
that he gave a commission to carry the message of sal- 
vation to as many as he loved, namely, "all the world" ; 
yes, "every creature." 

Connected with Gods' universal love, is his universal 
will. "Who will have all men to be saved." He gave 
himself a ransom for all. He is not willing that any 
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 
Thank God, it is his will that all men be saved. God 
never willed the loss of any. The need is universal. His 
love reaches all. He loved the benighted heathen that 



432 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

never heard the name of Jesus, as well as he loved you. 
It is his will that they be saved. If you are lost in hell, 
it will not be because God willed it so. As far as his will 
is concerned, he wills to have all men to be saved. He 
wants them to be saved. So we have, then, the universal 
need, the universal love, and the universal will. 

All this moved God to make a universal provision, on 
which the commission also rests. "Jesus Christ tasted 
death for every man." He died not only for a few, but 
for all. "Christ died for all." Then all can be saved. 
Do you believe that? I do. I believe all can be saved, 
because a universal provision has been made, and on 
that provision rests the commission. All men can be 
saved because Jesus tasted death for every man. He 
paid the penalty for a lost world. 

Since a universal provision has been made, we have 
a universal invitation. "Look unto me and be ye saved." 
How many? A few predestined, foreordained people 
whom God chooses of his own will, selected out 
from the rest to be saved? No, the invitation says, 
"Look unto me and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth; 
for I am God, and there is none else." The invitation 
is universal. It is as universal as the need, as universal 
as God's love, God's will and God's provision. Not a 
single one excluded. Thank God for the invitation. 

There is not only a universal invitation, but a univer- 
sal command. In Acts 17:30 we read: "And the time 
of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth 
all men everywhere to repent." This is a universal com- 
mand. He commands all men everywhere to repent. 
When the heathen comes in contact with the gospel, he 
must repent; and the enlightened likewise must repent 
or be lost. 

The commission rests upon universal promises. We 
have seen that there is a universal need, a universal 
love, a universal will, a universal provision, a universal 



THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE WORLD. 433 

invitation, and a universal command that all men repent 
and be saved. I am going to show you that God's prom- 
ises are also universal, and upon these promises rests 
the commission. The gospel will be preached univer- 
sally in all the inhabited earth. Now take that in its 
full sense. We are universalists in a Bible sense, but 
we are not universalists in the modern sense. We do not 
believe everybody will be universally saved, but the gos- 
pel will be preached in all the inhabited earth before the 
second coming of Jesus Christ. I want this to be an 
inspiration to the missionaries. You are simply paving 
the way for this stupendous work. 

In Matt. 24:14, we read, "And this gospel of the 
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a wit- 
ness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." 
Before the end of the Christian dispensation, the gospel 
of the kingdom will be preached "in all the world" and 
to "all nations." In the American Standard Version we 
read: "In all the inhabited earth." When the gospel 
of the kingdom shall be preached in all the inhabited 
earth, to all nations, then shall the end come. Just as 
truly as Jesus spoke those words, it will come to pass. 
For the Word of God can not be broken. 

Let me give you another text, in Rev. 14: 6, and that 
text applies directly to the time in which we now live. 
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, 
having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that 
dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and 
tongue, and people." I am glad God's preachers are 
taking a part in the fulfilling of the very truth contained 
in this scripture. The word "angel" here stands for the 
entire ministry of a certain time, and that time is after 
the downfall of spiritual Babylon. We are living in a 
time when this very ministry is spoken of. Listen where 
it is to go: "Unto them that dwell on the earth, and to 
every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." It 



434 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

is going to reach every nation under the sun before the 
end comes. Says one, "I thought that would be in the 
millennium." No, it is before the end that this is going 
to take place. The end will come then; the end of pro- 
bation, the end of salvation, the end of the world. 
There will be nothing beyond that, but the judgment and 
eternity. 

Some say, "When is the millennium?" I have mine 
now. I am reigning now. "Well, but won't the devil 
be bound?" That is foolish. He is loosed, and we are 
reigning over him while he is loosed. The millennialists 
expect to reign over him when he is bound. We reign 
over the old fellow when he is loosed. Bless the Lord! 
We do not have to wait for the devil to be bound to reign 
over him. The Lord says, "I give you power over all 
the powers of the enemy." He falls prostrate at our 
feet. This takes place before the end. 

Let me read another text which brings out the thought 
that the gospel shall be preached to every tongue and 
people. "For the earth shall be filled with the knowl- 
edge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the 
sea." "All the earth shall be filled with the knowledge 
of the glory of God." How much? A little drop of it 
here and there? "As the waters cover the sea." You 
know what the ocean is like. Just like the waters cover 
the sea, so God's Word declares, the knowledge of the 
Lord will cover the earth. I do not mean everybody is 
going to get saved all over the earth. Millennialists say 
that everybody is going to get righteous. But this im- 
plies the spread of the truth to every nook and corner of 
the earth until its blazing light will shine in every place. 
It is the knowledge of the glory of God : a knowledge of 
his truth. The gospel of Jesus Christ shall spread over 
all the earth like the waters cover the sea. On these 
promises rests the commission : "Go ye into all the world 
and preach the gospel to every creature." Does it not 



THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE WORLD. 435 

rest upon a good foundation, a solid basis? This ought 
to be an inspiration to you in this glorious time when 
every provison is made for the dissemination of the truth 
to the inhabitants of the earth. We ought to grasp the 
flaming torch, and spring forth in every direction scat- 
tering its light everywhere, with the inspiration that we 
are carrying out and fulfilling the sweeping promises of 
his Word. Wherever the gospel goes, Christianity goes; 
because the gospel and Christianity are inseparable. 
There will be some, possibly not many compared with the 
lost, but there will be some wherever the pure gospel 
goes, who will accept it. Then, since the gospel will be 
universal, we must conclude logically that Christianity 
will be universal. But does the Bible sustain that 
thought ? 

In Dan. 2:34, 35 we read, "Thou sawest till that a 
stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image 
upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them 
to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the 
silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and be- 
came like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and 
the wind carried them away, that no place was found 
for them: and the stone that smote the image became a 
great mountain, and filled the whole earth." 

A stone cut out without hands — that stone was none 
other than Christianity. Four universal empires are re- 
ferred to in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The head of gold 
represented the Babylonian empire. The breast and 
arms of silver, the Medo-Persian empire. The belly 
and thighs of brass, the Grecian empire. The legs if 
iron, the Roman empire. The two legs represent the 
eastern and western divisions of the Roman empire. The 
ten toes represent the ten divided kingdoms. But a 
stone was seen cut out of the mountain without hands, 
and it descended upon this great image. It struck it 
on its feet, and smashed the image to pieces. The brass 



436 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

and silver and the gold were driven away like chaff from 
a summer threshing-floor; and that stone grew until it 
became a great mountain that filled the whole earth. 
That little stone was the kingdom of God — Christianity 
— the church. While it was yet a stone, it smote the 
Roman empire. It was not a mountain when it smote 
the Roman empire; it was yet a stone. But that stone 
was to become a great mountain and fill the whole earth. 
That was not put in the Word of God for nothing. I 
believe that that is true. Christianity will go to every 
nook and corner of the globe. It is going to Greenland's 
icy mountains, to the heart of Africa, through the walls 
of China, and to the islands of the sea. It will penetrate 
every nook and corner of the globe, and there will be 
found everywhere true disciples of Jesus who will give 
honor and glory to his precious name. 

Let me give a New Testament scripture, Acts 13: 47: 
"For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set 
thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest 
be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." How far? 
To the ends of the earth. Praise God forever! Psa. 
52:27: "All the ends of the world shall remember and 
turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations 
shall worship before thee." Some, like millennialists, 
say that this means that everybody is going to be saved. 
It does not mean any such thing. It means that people 
from all the ends of the earth will be saved. The idea 
is, that the gospel will reach every nook and corner of 
the globe, and wherever it goes there will be men that 
will be saved, "and all the ends of the earth shall re- 
member and turn unto the Lord." People out of every 
nation under the sun will be saved. These are the prom- 
ises, and on these promises rests our commission. 

Psa. 2:8: "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the hea- 
then for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the 
earth for thy possession." That is what God said to his 



THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE WORLD. 4*7 

Son long before he sent him to this world. 'Just ask 
of me and I shall give thee the heathen * * * for thy 
possession. Your realm and your kingdom will spread 
through all the earth.' Universal, is it not? There 
were four universal world empires, Babylonian, Medo- 
Persian, Grecian, and the Roman. They were small 
compared to this one. Rome, I believe, ruled over three 
hundred millions of subjects, and the Babylonian king- 
dom was a great kingdom, and so was the Grecian. But 
there was a fifth universal kingdom to be established, 
and it was to reach to every corner of the earth. The 
uttermost parts of the earth shall be the possession of 
the King of kings, the Lord of lords. The time is fast 
approaching, I believe, when kings everywhere will bow 
their knees to Jesus Christ. The recent great political 
revolution in China, and the favorable attitude of its rul- 
ers towards Christianity is a sample of the way God 
is working, and one of the signs of the times. "And I 
will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse 
from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and 
he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion 
shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even 
to the ends of the earth." Zech. 9 : 10. Says one, "You 
will take out the main plank from under the millennial 
theory, if you apply all this in the current dispensation." 
This is where it applies. 

Nothing of these promises refers to a millennium, or 
a future age. The prophecy was to reach its fulfilment 
following Christ's first advent. We are living in the 
age of time when it will be fulfilled. "He shall have 
dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto 
the ends of the earth. Yea, all kings shall fall down 
before him: all nations shall serve him." Psa. 72: 8, 11. 
What does that mean? It means this, that Christianity 
will become as universal as the gospel itself. Its ef- 
fects will be felt; its influence will be felt in every na- 



438 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

tion under the sun. Upon those facts, upon those funda- 
mental truths, rests our text, the commission. 

First, there was a universal need; Second, was God's 
universal love; Third, God's universal will; Fourth, 
God's universal provision; Fifth, his universal invitation; 
Sixth, his universal command ; and Seventh, the promises 
of his Word are universal. On these rests the commission, 
which says, "Go ye into all the world and preach the 
gospel to every creature." 

THE PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY. 

I want to give you a little history of the progress of 
Christianity in fulfilling this commission. This dis- 
pensation in which we live, the gospel dispensation, is 
the last and best of all dispensations. There will be no 
other. John says, "It is the last time." If this is the 
last time, then there is no other time to follow. Paul 
says this is the end of the ages. He also says these 
are the last days. The days that go to make up the 
Christian dispensation are the last, and there can be 
none after the last. This is the last time. 

Now Jesus began the great work himself. In Acts 
1 : 1 we have this truth expressed. "Jesus began both 
to do and teach." What does that mean? The great 
work of the world's evangelization began in the minis- 
try of Jesus Christ. He was a busy worker. He did 
not have the modern means of conveyance we have. He 
could not step up to a telephone or telegraph and send 
a message. There were no automobiles, no steamship 
lines, there were no street-cars, and no railroads; there 
were none of our modern means of conveyance. Do you 
know that the majority of his labors were spent by walk- 
ing around from place to place? Counting the three 
and one-half years he labored he accomplished wonders. 
The fact that he was seen by five hundred brethren at 
one time shows that he accomplished much. One time 



THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE WORLD. 439 

he rode a donkey into Jerusalem on a triumphal tour; 
but generally speaking, he walked from place to place. 
The farthest point he reached from Jerusalem was 120 
miles. His ministry was an important one. He began 
this great work. 

When he sent forth his disciples, he let them know 
that his mission was so urgent that they should tarry for 
nothing. He said, "Greet no man by the way." Some 
may wonder why he said that. In those countries their 
greetings were not like ours. We could say, "Good- 
morning, John." That would not retard our progress a 
bit ; but over there they got down on their faces, and got 
up; then fell down before them again, and again, in 
greeting one person, and it took a great deal of time 
to go through all that; and Jesus knowing the urgency 
of their mission, said, "Greet no man." Go to the place 
where God sends you and there deliver the message. 
When he sent the seventy, he gave them to understand 
that he would follow them ; that his message was so urgent 
that "ye will not have gone over the houses of Israel, 
until the Lord comes." That is, "you will not have 
reached all the places where I send you until I overtake 
you." He sent them before him in whatsoever city ye 
would enter. I tell you, Jesus' life is an example to us. 

After the death of Christ and his ascension into heaven, 
the gospel reached a little farther; it reached to the 
limits of the Roman empire. We have here a map of 
the world. It represents the old and new world. Here 
is the Mediterranean Sea. The Roman empire covered 
the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, and 
that was the whole then-known world. It was probably 
the civilized world. The rest was practically unknown. 
All the great countries outside the limits of the Roman 
world with their millions were practically unknown. They 
had many fabulous stories about those hordes of savages 
that swept to and fro in those dark lands. The great 



440 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Atlantic and Pacific were practically unknown. No 
man had ever crossed the briny deep. Their idea was 
that the Mediterranean Sea was the greatest body of 
water, and that the few countries surrounding it were 
the whole world. 

The apostles went forth and carried the commission the 
Lord had delivered to them. Their means of conveyance 
were very limited. They had none of our modern means 
of travel. Paul traveled more extensively than any other 
of the ministers of his time, but under modern means of 
conveyance, you could have traveled over the same en- 
tire journeys in a short time. He traveled by foot, don- 
keys and camels, and sail boats. A few hours with our 
modern means of conveyance would cover distances that 
it took them many weary months and years to cover. 
But they went forth in the name of the Lord, and the 
result was that even before the death of the apostles the 
gospel began to shine forth to the very limits of the 
Roman empire. It spread around the Mediterranean 
Sea. It even reached the borders of Spain and several 
large churches were established in the northern borders 
of Africa, till the then-known world, which was the 
Roman empire, was quite well evangelized. This was 
Paul's understanding when he said: "The gospel has 
sounded out into all the world." "The world" to the peo- 
ple of that time was about half as big as the United 
States of America. That will explain to you a text you 
have often wondered about. We read that "The Queen 
of Sheba came from the uttermost parts of the earth to 
hear the wisdom of Solomon." Today a good express 
train would cover that distance in a few hours. She went 
only a few hundred miles to see Solomon, but to them 
it was the uttermost part of the earth. They had a very 
limited understanding of the earth's area. 

I am glad, brethren, we are living in this present age. 
You know we are living in the most favored time in the 



THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE WORLD. 441 

world's history. Thank God for the change! Ah, the 
great commission not only included those few countries 
that border on the Mediterranean Sea, but it reached 
every corner of the globe. This gospel of the kingdom 
shall be preached in all the inhabited earth, and then 
shall the end come. 

In carrying out this commission, the papacy spread 
out her borders and took in quite a bit of Europe and a 
little of Asia ; but that was false Christianity. That was 
corrupted. Then Protestantism came into existence and 
she has spread out some. Protestantism has probably 
spread out farther than Rome did in her day; but even 
with what she has done, and not casting any reflection 
upon the labors of her missionaries, much of the world 
is in heathen darkness. Protestantism has accomplished 
great things; but even after 300 years of Protestant 
accomplishments, what have we? Let me give you 
some figures. More than a billion people are yet anti- 
Christian; 800,000,000 are in heathen darkness; every 
year there die 12,045,000 adult heathen without having 
received the message of Christ; each month, 1,300,750; 
every week, 250,000, more than 33,000 a day; more 
than 1,300 an hour, and about 30 adult heathen are drop- 
ing into their graves every minute. We still see a dark 
picture before us. That brings us to an important 
thought. 

WORK YET TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. 

The work yet to be accomplished in carrying out this 
great commission is immense. There is some responsi- 
bility with us as the church. India, China, Africa, 
Japan, the islands of the sea, have yet to be evangelized ; 
and do you know, until the last few years, all those coun- 
tries with their teeming millions have been closed to 
the gospel? From the time that the angels sang the 
song, "Peace on earth, good will to men," those great 



442 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

nations that contained the great mass of the world's in- 
habitants, have been closed to the gospel, and to a very 
limited extent has the gospel ever penetrated them. But 
we have reached the time in God's own providence when 
those nations that have been closed to the gospel, which 
have been known as the uncivilized nations of the earth, 
are becoming civilized. They are opening up their doors, 
and it is God's plan to get the truth to them. Will the 
truth get to them? Yes. This gospel shall be preached 
to all the inhabited earth for a witness unto all nations, 
and then shall the end come. There is a great work yet 
to be accomplished. When we think that there are proba- 
bly 800,000,000 people still in heathen darkness, it 
means much to carry the gospel to them. A great work 
is yet to be accomplished. 

THE WORLD READY FOR THE GOSPEL. 

That brings us to the next thought — The signs of the 
time and the Lord's leading and preparation for its ac- 
complishment. All nations are opening up their doors 
for the first time to the gospel. Now if you have studied 
the facts as we have them you know that this is true of 
the nations. Those nations whose doors have been locked 
against the gospel for ages are today becoming civilized 
and becoming modern in their methods, and the result 
is they are opening up their doors for the truth. With 
China, which seemed the most stubborn against the gos- 
pel, such a transformation has taken place that it is sur- 
prising when you think about it. China has been 
changed to a republic, and some of her leading people 
are at least nominally Christian. What a wonderful 
thought! This is simply the carrying out of God's pur- 
pose, and we have a part in its fulfilment. Praise God 
f ei ever ! 

Another sign of the times, is that every part of tb.2 
earth is being explored today. You wonder why mer, 



THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE WORLD. 443 

hazard their lives and go to the North and South Poles. 
Brother Duncan and I had the privilege of having a long 
visit with Dr. Cook, and of hearing him lecture and show 
his pictures of his travels to the North Pole. He said 
to me, "I am a poor man. And because I am not a man 
of influence and means I was discredited and the honor 
was given to another." He said, "If ever a man reached 
the place, I did." Why do men thus hazard their lives? 
Why did a certain man go from England and lose his 
life trying to reach the South Pole? It looks like fool- 
hardiness. After all, God has a hand in all those things. 
They are carrying out his purpose. They are opening 
up doors to carry the gospel seed and plant it in the 
very heart of places where they never heard of it. 

Modern inventions. — Why, we stand almost aghast in 
wonderment, in amazement at what man is accomplish- 
ing in these days. Man harnesses the lightning and 
starts the wheels of machinery going everywhere by 
electricity. Our forefathers did not dream of what you 
and I today have. We do not dream of what our chil- 
dren will see some day. What is all this for ? It is the hand 
of God. All these things are intended by the Lord Al- 
mighty to carry out and to fulfil his plan and his purpose. 
God rules in the kingdoms of men. You can step on an 
express train here today, and in a few hours be on the 
Pacific Coast; then you will transfer quickly and board 
the steamship that plows the sea; and in a little while 
you are in a foreign land with a message of truth. By 
electricity, a message can gird this globe in a few minutes 
of time. It is God's movement; it is God's way. I 
stand in astonishment when I realize it is all the hand 
of God, preparing for his great work. God is prepar- 
ing the world for the accomplishment of this great serv- 
ice and work, and the carrying out to the fullest extent 
of the great commission he left. 

I have known people who believed they would live 



444 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

to see Jesus come. They thought just a little while and 
he will be here in flaming fire; but he is not here yet. 
Some have believed that the Lord would get out a little 
handful, a remnant, and then come. The gathering of a 
holy remnant is a part of his work, surely enough. That 
this is true, we do not deny. That was a truth, and we 
will stay with it. The gathering of a holy remnant out 
of sects, constituting Zion, Jerusalem, the pure church 
of God in the earth today, is being accomplished; but 
is that the end of the work? 

Turn to Zechariah 14th chapter, and 6th and 7th 
verses: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the 
light shall not be clear, nor dark: but it shall be one day 
which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night: 
but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall 
be light." We are living in the evening time — what is 
properly termed the evening light. It was clear and 
light in the morning, and the gospel in all its purity 
shone forth, but there came a great apostasy, a long 
dark night filled with superstition, a mixture of truth 
and error, at the end of which, in the evening of the 
dispensation, the clouds and darkness and mists of con- 
fusion and creedism and false doctrines, as far as God's 
people were concerned, was to pass away, and the clean 
truth of the gospel through the church of God was to be 
restored as in the morning. Thank God, we have reached 
that time, and people are being led out into the truth 
into the New Jerusalem, the church of God. 

Is that all there is to be accomplished? Listen. "It 
shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall 
go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former 
sea; and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer 
and in winter shall it be." It was not simply to get 
Jerusalem together, but that living waters shall go out 
from Jerusalem, toward the eastern and western sea," 
across the ocean to other lands. That living water is 



THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE WORLD. 445 

the gospel truth of salvation. Thank God, a missionary 
spirit is now taking hold of the church more firmly, in 
harmony with God's plan and leading. 

Instead of thinking that our work is accomplished, 
and that the Lord will immediately come, the church is 
now beginning to feel the burden of carrying the gospel 
to all the world. Some one may say, "Well, you have 
changed." It is a good change in the right direction. 
It is a change that God has made, and I am glad that 
I ever got out of my heart the idea that we were simply 
to gather a few out of Babylon. That part is all right. 
But I feel the burden of carrying this message to every 
corner of the globe. This is our commission. God never 
changed his plan, but he had to change our ideas to 
conform with this plan. "The Lord shall be King over 
all the earth. In that day there shall be one Lord and 
one name." There will be a universal spread of Chris- 
tianity to every part of the earth. 

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all 
the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall 
the end come." If you will carefully study the language 
of this text, you will observe that it means that this great 
accomplishment of the universal spread of the gospel to 
every nation of the earth is to take place just before the 
end, because the end will come when that is accomplished. 
We are living in that very time. No one knows when the 
Lord will come, but we do know that the gospel will 
reach every part of the earth. Ere long the Lord will 
come, and before he comes all this must be fulfilled. We 
are taking part in that very work. We are in the ref- 
ormation that is fulfilling those prophecies. Don't you 
oppose it. If you do, you will stand against the Lord 
and his work. You had better throw down your preju- 
dice and take your stand for the whole truth, help accom- 
plish this great work, and then you can go to meet him 
in the skies. 



446 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



Effects of Sin and of the Blood of Christ. 

In the Auditorium, Sunday afternoon, June 15, 
by John C. Turner. 

This afternoon by the help of God I will briefly con- 
sider sin and its effects, and the blood of Jesus Christ 
and its effects, upon the heart of man. 

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, 
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, 
for that all have sinned." Rom. 5:12. In this verse 
we find that sin was introduced into the world by one 
man. This man was Adam. God did not create him in 
sin, but in his own image and likeness (Gen. 1 : 26, 27). 
When God created man, he placed him under law, which 
demanded perfect love and obedience (Gen. 2:7, 16, 17). 
Man transgressed this law; he ate of the fruit of the 
forbidden tree, fell into sin, became a transgressor, 
lost his fellowship with God, lost God's holiness and 
righteousness out of his heart (Gen. 3:6). "For sin 
is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. "There- 
fore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, 
to him it is sin." Jas. 4: 17. 

SIN PRODUCES SPIRITUAL DEATH. 

I will now consider briefly the effects of sin. Death 
is a separation. Physical death is the separation of the 
soul from the body. Spiritual death is the separation 
of the soul from God. God gave man this command- 
ment: "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely 
eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 
thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat- 
est thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen. 2: 16, 17. The 
serpent beguiled Eve, and she ate of the forbidden fruit 
and also gave some of it to Adam. When the Lord in- 
quired of Adam whether he had eaten of the tree, Adam 
answered, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with 



EFFECTS OF SIN AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 447 

me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Gen. 3: 12. 
God had said to Adam, "In the day that thou eatest 
thereof thou shalt surely die." God could not repeal 
this law, and man had no surplus obedience or love 
with which to purchase redemption, for the law de- 
manded a perfect love and obedience; therefore man 
had to die — not a physical death that day, but a spirit- 
ual death. Adam lived to be nine hundred and thirty 
years old before he died a physical death (Gen. 5:5). 
'"The soul that sinneth it shall die." Ezek. 18:4, 20. 

SIN SEPARATES FROM GOD. 

"Your iniquities have separated between you and 
your God; and your sins have hid his face from you, 
that he will not hear." Isa. 59: 2. Sin caused Adam and 
Eve to be separated from God and his holiness, inso- 
much that they could not hold communion with him any 
longer in the Garden of Eden, for God's wrath was 
kindled against them on account of their sin, and he 
drove them out of the garden (Gen. 3:24). Oh, the 
distress of Adam as, with a sin-smitten conscience, 
he left the garden in shame, no more to enjoy sweet 
days of communion with his Maker there, but to take 
up the toils of life ! For a soul to be separated from 
God means for the soul to be lost. So, dear friend here 
this afternoon, if you are living in sin, you are sepa- 
rated from God and in a lost condition. 

SIN ENSLAVES. 

"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." 
John 8:34. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield 
yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to 
whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or obedience 
unto righteousness." Rom. 6:16. 

As we look out upon the scenes of life, it is sad to 



448 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

see the people created for God's glory bound in fetters 
of vicious, soul-destroying habits. How often we see 
a fellow being bound with the drink-habit, and yet at 
the same time wanting to be free. He sees the misery 
it is giving him — heartaches, remorse of conscience; he 
sees his home being ruined, his wife becoming dis- 
couraged, his children following in his footsteps, and 
many other dark pictures. He resolves that he will 
quit drinking — perhaps makes a New Year's resolution, 
signs the pledge, or turns over a new leaf. His life be- 
gins to brighten; hopes begin to return. Perhaps he 
leaves off drinking a short time, but soon those awful 
gnawings produced by the appetite for liquor become 
stronger than his weakeneu will-power, and alas! the 
poor man takes one drink, '.han another, and so on until 
the habit has him back again and claims him as before — 
a drunkard. The bright picture he saw of an encour- 
aged wife, a happy home, and innocent, care-free chil- 
dren; those bright hopes of being a man, a respecta- 
ble citizen, an affectionate husband, and a kind father, 
are all vanished. Why? Because the poor man is in 
bondage to sin; it is his master, and he must serve it. 
He tried to rid himself of it, but he used the wrong 
means to effect his freedom. 

We should not laugh at, nor scorn, nor press down 
a poor man like this. He needs help. He is not mas- 
ter of himself, but a slave to sin and drink. His resolu- 
tions, though made in sincerity; the signing of the 
pledge in good faith; the turning of a new leaf with 
good hopes — all were inadequate. So hopelessly he goes 
back again, though perhaps loathing strong drink. Some 
might say he ought to quit. Yes, that is true; but tell- 
ing him he ought to quit is not giving him power to 
quit. O brethren! God help us to tell these poor sin- 
bound souls of the power in the blood of Jesus Christ 
to free them from the awful slavery that wrecks their 



EFFECTS OF SIN AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 449 

bodies, breaks up their homes, blights their lives, ruins 
their souls: and thank God! not only to free them, but 
to give thtm power to reign over it. 

Now, what is true of the man who drinks is true of 
the person who takes God's name in vain, the person 
who is given to vanity, the person who steals, and the 
person who lies. It seems to me that some are think- 
ing, "Well, they do not need to do these things." Yes, 
but many of our fellow men have yielded to sin in early 
age; and when a person yields himself to sin, he has to 
obey it. Remember, "his servants ye are to whom ye 
obey." My friend, you will never know how great are 
the power of sin and the bondage of habit, until you try 
to rid yourself of them. 

SIN BARS OUT OF HEAVEN. 

"Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and 
ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I 
go, ye can not come." John 8:21. Think of it, dear 
sinner! After you have spent your time, talents, your 
all in sin, serving the devil, you must leave this world, 
launch out to face the stern realities of eternity. When 
the time of your departure comes, you will see your sin 
and folly. As your misspent life comes before you, with 
its sinful deeds and unused opportunities, you will shrink 
to cross over; your heart will fail; your strength will 
vanish; your pleasures in sin will become grim specters 
of terror to haunt your precious soul as it goes out from 
its house of clay to answer the summons from above. 

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this 
the judgment." Heb. 9:27. At the judgment, when 
all nations and people shall stand before Christ to re- 
ceive the things done in the body, whether good or bad, 
you will feel the effect of sin and know what it means 
to be barred out of heaven ; for then you will hear, not 
the pleading voice of Christ the Savior, calling, "Come 



450 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and 
I will give you rest/' but the stern voice of Christ the 
Judge, commanding, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into 
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." 

Those words, "Depart from me," will mean that you 
are barred out of heaven, for Christ is there. They will 
mean that you will never be privileged to be with the 
holy angels, for they are with Christ in heaven. They 
will mean that you will never, no never, be with those 
of your loved ones who on earth walked uprightly in 
the fear of God, and who died in the faith, nor with 
that great throng, the redeemed of ages, who have washed 
and made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb ; for 
these shall all gather around the great white throne and 
make the high arches of heaven ring with their glad songs 
and loud halleluiahs. 

To be barred out of heaven, dear sinner, will mean to 
you bitter dissappointment, anguish, remorse, and woe. 
God help you to be wise ! Make the right choice, decide 
to give your heart to God, and go with us to heaven, 
to share the blest eternity of love! Oh! will you go? 

SIN PRODUCES ETERNAL DEATH. 

"The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23. In this 
world sin produces spiritual death; in the world to 
come, eternal death. The man that lives in sin in 
this present world is spiritually dead, that is, separated 
from God; but he has opportunity while living, for it is 
the day of God's mercy and grace; it is a day of proba- 
tion to him, to accept Christ and his gospel, and to be 
made alive from the dead and be united with God. 
The man that dies in sin is eternally, spiritually dead; 
that is, he is forever separated from God and has no 
hopes nor promises of ever being united or reconciled 
to God. Listen to these scriptures; they are awful 
facts, fearful judgments pending over this doomed world. 



EFFECTS OF SIN AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 451 

Dear sinner, as you listen to these, God help you to 
decide to serve him in this world, ere they shall be 
fulfilled in you. 

"When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven 
with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance 
on them that know not God, and that obey not the gos- 
pel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished 
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the 
Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 Thess. 1 : 7-9. 
"But the fearful and the unbelieving, and the abom- 
inable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, 
and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the 
lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is 
the second death." Rev. 21:8. "And cast ye the un- 
profitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be 
weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt. 25 : 30. "To 
be cast into hell fire, where their worm dieth not, and 
the fire is not quenched." Mark 9 : 47, 48. "So shall it 
be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, 
and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall 
cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wail- 
ing and gnashing of teeth." Matt. 13:49, 50. "Upon 
the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and 
an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their 
cup." Psa. 11:6. "And the smoke of their torment 
ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest 
day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and 
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Rev. 14: 11. 

These judgments will be dealt out to the wicked; to 
those who obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ; to those 
who refuse and rebel; to those who reject Christ and 
will not let him rule over them in this world; and to 
the neglecter — the one who intends to serve God "some 
day," who waits for "a more convenient time," saying, 
"Not now, but after awhile," "some other day," but who 
turns the pleadings of the Spirit of God away until it 



452 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

ceases to convict him and takes its flight forever, leav- 
ing him to go the way of his choice. In hell shall be 
their portion, where they will awake to everlasting shame 
and contempt; in hell, where they shall not rest for- 
ever, for there is no rest in hell. "These shall go 
away into everlasting punishment" (Matt. 25:46); yea, 
from the presence of God into "outer darkness," into 
"eternity's night" — banished forever from heaven, Je- 
sus, the redeemed, loved ones, and from all that is holy 
and pure; hopeless, Christless, and eternally lost. 

This, eternal death, is an awful effect of sin, and the 
judgments that God renders can not reflect against his 
character, his love, nor his mercy ; for he has perfected a 
plan of redemption whereby "all people," "all men," 
"whosoever," can obtain an experience of salvation by 
meeting the conditions of God's Word, which are to re- 
pent and believe the gospel. "God is not willing that 
any should perish; but that all should come to re- 
pentance." 2 Pet. 3 : 9. "Say unto them, As I live, saith 
the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the 
wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. 
Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye 
die?" Ezek. 33:11. 

"By one man sin entered into the world," and brought 
with it death, sickness, heartaches, disrupted homes, 
quarreling, murders, suicides, unnatural affections, pride 
— in short, all the havocs and miseries of the human 
family. It has taken boys and intelligent men and made 
them drunkards and thieves. It has stolen the mother's 
darling and the father's pride and robbed her of virtue. 
It has filled the houses of ill-fame. It has filled graves 
before their time with broken-hearted and grief-stricken 
parents. It has bound both young and old, rich and 
poor, with body-wrecking, soul-destroying habits. Yes, 
all the world's misery, sorrow, and trouble can be traced 
to sin. Oh! then let not any one plead for sin. The 



EFFECTS OF SIN AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 4>9$ 

man who says we can not live free from sin in this 
world, testifies that he is a sinner, an enemy of God, 
an opposer of Christ and his gospel. Such a person 
ought to blush with shame. Dear brethren, let us hold 
up the standard of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and 
point the people to "the Lamb of God, which taketh away 
the sin of the world," yea, to Jesus Christ, who giveth 
"power over all the power of the enemy," "who heal- 
eth all our diseases and forgiveth all our iniquities." 

Now I will consider the blood of Jesus Christ and 
its effects. I will try to make this as brief as pos- 
sible and at the same time plain enough to be under- 
stood. 

COMING OF A SAVIOR PROPHESIED. 

In the Old Testament are prophecies pointing forward 
to a time when God would send a Savior into the world. 
God saw that the human family was in sin and unable 
to help itself; so he planned a way of redemption and 
conveyed the promise of it to the people of different 
ages by prophecies, types, and shadows. I shall read 
some of those prophecies. 

"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to 
the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem 
for sin and for uncleanness." Zech. 13:7. "Rejoice 
greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jeru- 
salem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, 
and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, 
and upon a colt the foal of an ass." Zech. 9:9. The 
New Testament relates the fulfilment of this prophecy. 
It tells us how Jesus made his triumphant entry into 
Jerusalem, riding into the city upon an ass. Some of 
the people laid their garments in the way, others strewed 
branches, and a multitude kept shouting, "Hosanna to 
the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name 
of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." This made a 



454 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

great commotion, and the people began to inquire, "Who 
is this? The multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet 
of Nazareth of Galilee." Matt. 21:4-11. So, you see, 
Jesus was the one that fulfilled that prophecy. 

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call 
his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their 
sins." Matt. 1:21. "And the angel said unto them, 
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great 
joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born 
this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ 
the Lord." Luke 2:10, 11. There are many other 
prophecies concerning our Savior, but I believe we have 
enough for this time. 

THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST'S COMING. 

We read, "In the beginning was the Word, and the 
Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same 
was in the beginning with God." John 1:1, 2. And 
in verse 14 we read, "And the Word was made flesh, and 
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory 
as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and 
truth." From these scriptures we see that Jesus was 
not merely a man, but actually God manifested in the 
flesh. "And without controversy great is the mystery 
of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh." 1 Tim. 
3: 16. "And ye know that he was manifested to take 
away our sins; and in him is no sin." 1 John 3: 5. "God 
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and 
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." Rom. 8:3. "For 
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he 
might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3 : 8. 

By these scriptures we see that the purpose of Jesus 
was to condemn sin in the flesh, to destroy the works of 
the devil, and to take away our sins. No other than 
Jesus could do this, and in order for him to accomplish 
this, he had to shed his blood and to give up his life, 



EFFECTS OF SIN AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 455 

"for without the shedding of blood there is no remis- 
sion of sins." "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; 
and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an 
atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that mak- 
eth an atonement for the soul." Lev. 17: 11. Now, the 
shedding of the blood of bulls and of goats was only a 
type of the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. Blood 
is absolutely necessary for the atonement. 

NECESSITY OF A DIVINE SAVIOR. 

We might consider why it was necessary for Jesus 
to leave the mansions of glory, the angels, and his Father, 
to come down to this sin-benighted world, to suffer re- 
proach, to be rejected and cast out, and finally to be 
crucified, in order that man might have salvation. To 
get a good understanding of this, we shall have to con- 
sider the creation of man, the God who created him, the 
nature of the law God placed man under, and the 
nature of the penalty of that law. 

I might tell a little of the nature of God. "God is a 
Spirit." John 4 : 24. "Even from everlasting to ever- 
lasting thou art God." Psa. 90:2. "For thus saith 
the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose 
name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with 
him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." Isa. 
57: 15. So God is a spirit; he is self-existent, from 
everlasting to everlasting; and he is holy. 

Man was formed out of the dust of the ground — that 
is, the physical part of man. God "breathed into his 
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living 
soul." Gen. 2 : 7. He made man in his own image and 
likeness — that is, a spiritual image, for God is a spirit. 
He then placed man under a law that demanded perfect 
obedience and love to God with all his heart, soul, mind, 
and strength. Jesus tells us, "Thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 



456 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind." 
Luke 10: 27. The principles of righteousness and obedi- 
ence and love contained in the gospel are the same as 
those contained in God's law in the beginning. God 
never did abolish them; but man fell into sin, which 
robbed him of the power to live up to the standard of 
these principles. Since we have been redeemed, how- 
ever, we have received power to live up to this high and 
holy standard. 

Inasmuch as God's law was perfect, just, and good, 
and required a perfect obedience and love to God, this 
left man without any extra or surplus obedience or love. 
Man could have no more and be perfect, nor any less 
and be perfect; for whatever is added to or taken from 
a perfect thing renders it imperfect. God gave man 
commandment "not to eat of the tree of the knowledge 
of good and evil; for in the day thou eatest thereof thou 
shalt surely die." Man was tempted, he yielded, and 
the consequences were, he fell into sin, died a spiritual 
death, and was separated from God. God being perfect, 
he could not have communion or fellowship with man, 
who had become imperfect by transgressing a law that 
required perfect obedience and perfect love to God. This 
transgression made Adam a sinner, and he being the 
father of all our race, plunged the whole human family 
into sin. God being holy, just, and good, and his law 
being the same, he could not repeal this law, nor could 
he do away with its penalty, which was death, for a law 
without a penalty is of no force; besides, God had said, 
"In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely 
die." The penalty had to fall, and did fall, on man; 
and without a divine Savior man would have been hope- 
lessly lost — 

First, because man, a finite being, created and placed 
under the jurisdiction of an infinite law, transgressed 
that law, thereby bringing upon him the demands of the 



EFFECTS OF SIN AND BjLOOD OF CHRIST. 4*7 

infinite majesty of the law to pay the penalty, which 
was death. 

Secondly, beeause man, being finite and created, could 
not bring an infinite sacrifice or gift of righteousness 
to satisfy the justice of the infinite law, which he broke, 
nor make an atonement to reconcile himself to the in- 
finite God whom he insulted. 

Thirdly, because angels, who are created beings and 
are under God's law, which demands perfect obedience, 
could have no surplus of obedience to atone for man's 
transgression. 

Fourthly, because man's redemption required an in- 
finite being, one not under the jurisdiction of the law 
that man broke, to pay the penalty of the infinite law 
and to satisfy an infinite God, whom man insulted. This 
was Jesus Christ. 

Man without Christ is under the sentence of death. 
Jesus came that man might have life and that he might 
have it more abundantly. "I am the good shepherd," 
he said, "and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 
10: 10, 16. Notice that he said, "I lay it down." His 
dying was a voluntary act of his divine love to fallen 
man. The law that man broke could not demand the 
life of Jesus, for Christ was not under its jurisdiction; 
but Christ freely laid it down to satisfy the divine jus- 
tice of law that man broke, so that instead of man's 
dying, he might have life through the sacrifice of Jesus 
Christ. 

THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. 

We read in the Bible how Jesus suffered the tempta- 
tions in the wilderness, the scoffs and scorns of the peo- 
ple, being despised and rejected by those whom he came 
to save, and how he suffered the great agony in the 
Garden of Gethsemane, when his sweat was as it were 
great drops of blood falling down to the ground. O be- 
loved ! can we not feel an effect in our souls of this mighty' 



458 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

agony and earnest intercessions for the human family? 
Do not our hearts burn within us as we see him bowing 
there under the awful pressure of human woes and the 
iniquity of the whole world? His humanity almost 
failing, he cries out, "Lord, if it be possible, let this 
cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as 
thou wilt." Again he prays, the lovely Lamb of God, 
in fervent love as the bitter cup of the sins of the 
whole world is handed to him: "O my Father, if this 
cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy 
will be done." Matt. 26:39, 42. 

He rises from prayer; he calls the disciples; the 
soldiers meet him and take him away to the judgment- 
hall of Pilate. There he is tried, falsely accused, mocked, 
spit upon, and robed in a purple garment. The in- 
nocent One of God is tried, judged, and sentenced to 
be crucified by a howling and blood-thirsty throng. "Away 
with him! let him be crucified," they yell. They lay his 
cross upon him and start on that memorable march to 
Calvary. He faints by the way. The awful weight of 
the sins of the whole world upon him and the extreme 
suffering of humanity cause him to fall to the ground. 
At last Mount Calvary is reached. He is nailed to the 
cross. There he hangs between two thieves, a crown 
of thorns piercing his lovely brow, the nails in his 
hands and feet, the angry mob spitting and mocking; 
yet above the cries and scoffs of the crucifiers, we hear 
him with a heart full of love and compassion pray, 
"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they 
do." He thirsts ; they offer him vinegar mixed with 
gall. He cries out in tones of anguish, "My God ! my 
God! why hast thou forsaken me?" 

REDEMPTION THROUGH CHRIST. 

Jesus while hanging there is the sin-offering for hu- 
manity; the iniquity of the whole world is upon him; he 



EFFECTS OF SIN AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 459 

was left to bear it all alone; he is paying the penalty 
of the broken law that justly should fall on us. It is 
the greatest crisis the world has ever known. A few 
minutes and all would be decided. The battle is fierce; 
the agony and the pain are great; but the words, "It 
is finished," forever secures to the man who will repent 
life from the dead state of sin, peace, joy, rest, and a 
lively hope of heaven. Praise God! Sin is conquered; 
the penalty is paid; the devil is defeated; and the re- 
deemed are rejoicing. Truly "there is power, power, won- 
der-working power in the blood of the Lamb." 

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, 
and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the 
kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed 
us from our sins in his own blood." Rev. 1 : 5. "In 
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgive- 
ness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Eph. 
1 : 7. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not re- 
deemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from 
your vain conversation, received by tradition from your 
fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a 
Lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Pet. 1 : 18, 19. 
"That by the grace of God, [Jesus] should taste death 
for every man." Heb. 2 : 9. "For the grace of God that 
bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men." Tit. 
2:11. The purchase price of man's salvation has been 
paid, and to all the ends of the earth has been sent the 
message telling men to cease to do evil and to call upon 
the Lord while he is near. Brethren, let us herald forth 
with joy the glad tidings of the gospel and call Adam's 
fallen race to repent and to believe the gospel. 

WHAT REPENTANCE INCLUDES. 

Dear sinner, you can have salvation if you will re- 
pent and believe on Jesus Christ. Let us notice briefly 
what repentance includes. 



4«0 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Dear firmer, you must see and feel that you are lost 
and away from God. When you come to yourself, like 
the poor prodigal son, decide to come home to Father's 
house. Come filled with godly sorrow for \our sins; 
"for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation." 
2 Cor. 7: 10. Forsake your sins. "Let the wicked for- 
sake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: 
and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy 
upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly par- 
don." Isa. 55 : 7. To the extent of your ability and op- 
portunity restore that which you have robbed. "If the 
wicked restore the pledge, give again that he hath robbed, 
walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity ; 
he shall surely live, he shall not die." Ezek. 33:15. 
Forgive your fellow men. "For if ye forgive men their 
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." 
Matt. 6:14. This forgiveness must be more than a 
mere formal, lip forgiveness; it must be genuine, from 
the heart. "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do 
also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every 
one his brother their trespasses." Matt. 18:35. Man 
must be reconciled; there is no such thing as a man's 
serving God and hating his fellow men or not being will- 
ing to right all the wrongs that caused bad feelings and 
led to estrangement. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift 
to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother 
hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the 
altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, 
and then come and offer thy gift." Matt. 5 : 23, 24. Then, 
after you have done all this, you need to confess your 
sins. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just 
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all un- 
righteousness." 1 John 1 : 9. 

Now, dear sinner, after you have done all of this, 
you are not saved, you need to make the last and im- 
portant step, that is, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 



EFFECTS OF SIN AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 461 

with all of your heart. It is easy for a man to believe 
when he knows that he is not keeping back a single 
thing, but is confessing all. When he has truly re- 
pented and believes that Jesus through his blood washes. 
all of his sins away, thank God! they go. "For with 
the heart man believeth unto righteousness; but with the 
mouth confession is made unto salvation." Rom. 10: 10. 

CLOSING EXHORTATION. 

Sinner, this salvation is for you, "for whosoever 
will, let him come, and take the water of life freely." 
"Come unto me, and I will give you rest." You will 
never be satisfied in your soul until you have been saved 
from your sins, and have received that sweet soul-rest, 
peace, and happiness which the good Lord alone can give. 

The effects of the blood of Jesus Christ in us gives 
us peace, a hope of heaven, and power and victory over 
all the power of the enemy. It makes Christian men out 
of drunkards. It makes us new creatures in Christ 
Jesus; old things pass away, and behold; all things be- 
come new. 

Dear sinner and fellow traveler to eternity, stop in 
your mad career in sin, which is leading you to a devil's 
hell, and consider your soul's salvation. Salvation will 
make your life happy; it will sweeten your days with 
pleasure. I again exhort you in Jesus' name and appeal 
to your better judgment to come to Christ, to come now. 



462 CAxMP-MEETING SERMONS. 



Ministry of Healing. 

In the Tabernacle, Sunday afternoon, June 15, 
by E. E. Byrum. 

It is not my intention to try to prove to you that there 
is a God. We live in a Christian country, in a land 
of Bibles, and I shall take it for granted that every 
one present believes that there is a God. What I wish 
to do is to impress upon your minds the necessity of 
believing his word and to encourage you in such a manner 
as will enable you to receive the benefits promised to 
the children of God. 

The prophet Isaiah, looking down through the annals 
of time with a prophetic eye, foresaw the Christian era 
and made mention of some of the things that would take 
place during that period. In giving expression to that 
which came before his vision, he said: "Say to them 
that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, 
your God will come with vengeance, even God with a 
recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes 
of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf 
shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap 
as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." Isa. 35: 
4-6. Some think Isaiah referred to the Millennium, 
when, they believe. Christ will come and reign on earth 
a thousand years, and these scriptures will be fulfilled; 
but their thoughts are only imaginary. The prophet 
referred to the Christian era, which lasts from the time 
that Christ was here upon earth until he shall come in 
judgment. 

The mission of Jesus Christ in this world was to save 
people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). Consider what 
the prophet said, "He will come and save you." In 
order to be saved from sin, it is necessary for people 
to repent of their sins, to forsake and confess them. "He 



MINISTRY OF HEALING. 463 

that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso con- 
fesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Prov. 
28: 13. John says^ "If we confess our sins, he is faith- 
ful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us 
from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1 : 9. When Jesus 
began his ministry, he commenced by preaching repent- 
ance, saying, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." Mark 
1: 15. When he sent his disciples forth, "they went out 
and preached that men should repent" (Mark 6:12). 
That is a part of the commission which the Lord has 
given to every minister that he has called to proclaim 
his gospel. 

Not only did he save people from their sins while he 
was on earth, but we read in Heb. 18: 8, "Jesus Christ, 
the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Yesterday 
represents time past; today, the present; and forever, 
the future. Then, what he did for people in times past, 
he will, under similar circumstances and by meeting like 
conditions, do for the people today. 

At one time a woman came to Jesus very penitent, 
"and he said, Thy sins are forgiven; and they that sat 
at meat with him, began to say within themselves, Who 
is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the 
woman, Thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace." Luke 
7 : 48-50. You will remember that John the Baptist, the 
forerunner of Jesus Christ, told the people to repent and 
be baptized. Jesus told them to do likewise; and on 
the day of Pentecost, when Peter was preaching to those 
wicked people who condemned and crucified the Son of 
God, they began to realize the weight of their sins and 
said, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then 
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every 
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remis- 
sion of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy 
Ghost. * * * Then they that gladly received his word 
were baptized: and the same day there were added unto 



464. CAMP-MEETING SERMONS 

them about three thousand souls." Acts 2: 38-41. At an- 
other time five thousand were saved. 

In the last commission that Jesus Christ gave to his 
apostles, he said, "He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned." 
If people desire help from God and desire to have power 
with him, you can see the necessity of their turning 
from their sins, and being obedient to his Word and also 
the necessity of being baptized. The Word teaches 
that every believer should be baptized. A believer is 
one who is obedient to God's Word. It would do a 
sinner no good to be baptized, as he would go down 
into the water a dry sinner and come up a wet one. 
There would be no change of heart. But when a be- 
liever is baptized, he fulfils the command of his Master. 
I desire to impress these things upon your minds as a 
matter of importance in order that you may better 
understand how to obtain help from the Lord con- 
cerning other things which we are now about to pre- 
sent. 

EYES OF THE BLIND OPENED. 

Again let us refer to the words of the prophet, "Then 
the eyes of the blind shall be opened." When Jesus 
Christ was here on earth, two blind men came to him 
to be healed, and Jesus said to them, "Believe ye that 
I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 
Then he touched their eyes and said, According to 
your faith be it unto thee, and their eyes were opened." 
Was not this through the fulfilment of the words of 
Isaiah? And if Jesus Christ is the same now, as is 
recorded in Heb. 13: 8, why should we think it strange 
if the eyes of the blind should be opened at the present 
time? A few years ago, at the beginning of a camp- 
meeting at Mounds ville, W. Va., Sister Mabel Porter 
who now lives at Pratt, Kans., brought her little blind 



MINISTRY OF HEALING. 465 

girl, and in a pleading voice, such as only a loving 
mother could use, begged us to pray that God might 
heal her child and open her eyes. We knelt in prayer, 
laid our hands upon the child, and asked God to send 
his healing power and restore sight to that child, and 
immediately she was made well and could walk out into 
the sunlight and enjoy the blessings which God had be- 
stowed upon her. We have known many persons to re- 
ceive their sight of whom we have not time here to re- 
late the circumstances. 

A few days ago an unsaved woman was led forward 
for prayer in the auditorium on these grounds, calling 
upon God for mercy. Suddenly she arose, praising God 
that he had restored her sight. The last that we heard 
of her she was seen going down town with both hands 
raised, thanking God for the restoration of her eye- 
sight. 

At one time when Jesus was at Bethsaida, a blind 
man was brought to him for healing. Jesus put his 
hands on him and asked him if he could see. "He looked 
up and said, I see men as trees walking. After that 
he put his hands again upon his eyes and made him 
look up, and he was restored and saw every man clearly." 
Now, you will notice that, even with all the power Je- 
sus had, the first time he laid his hands on the blind 
man, he did not receive perfect sight, but he was after- 
ward made to see clearly. This should be an encourage- 
ment to some here who have been calling upon God for 
help. 

There is in our midst a man who several years ago 
was a very wicked and reckless man. He became con- 
victed of his sins, but did not yield. He says that God 
smote him blind for three days. He then yielded his 
heart to God. For years, however, he had felt that 
the Lord desired him to preach the gospel, and after giv- 
ing his heart to the Lord, he not only felt his call to 



466 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

preach the gospel, but was shown just what to do and 
where his work would be. He finally, in July of that 
year, promised God that if he would help him to pay 
a debt of several hundred dollars he would be obedient 
to his call. The Lord so prospered him ihat by the 
middle of the following December the debt was paid; 
but on the 10th of January he told the Lord that he 
could not or would not undertake the responsibilities 
of the call. That night he retired about ten o'clock, and 
at half-past two in the morning he awoke stone blind. 
After this he thought that he had greater reason than 
ever for not being obedient — on account of his blind- 
ness — and he went deep into sin. But finally, a few 
months ago, he yielded himself to God and determined 
to do his will. He came to this camp-meeting blind, 
but expecting to receive his sight. He was prayed for 
at one of the other services and was able to recognize 
his wife and others for the first time in more than five 
years, and could give a description of a person near 
him. Brother Petty, you can testify to the truthful- 
ness of this statement. [Brother Petty arose and said, 
"The statement is true, and I expect to receive another 
touch of God's healing power before I leave these 
grounds."] Surely these things are in fulfilment of the 
words of the prophet, and we are living in the time 
of which the prophet foretold. 

Many people suffering under the oppression of the 
enemy and from sickness and disease have read the in- 
cidents of healing recorded in the Bible and have said, 
"Oh, if I had only lived in Bible times, I could in like 
manner have been healed!" Thank God, we do live in 
Bible times and in a time when we can receive the bless- 
ings for soul and body that are promised to the chil- 
dren of God. The important thing for us to do is to 
believe the Word of God and appropriate his promises 
as our own. 



MINISTRY OF HEALING. 467 

EARS OF THE DEAF UNSTOPPED. 

The prophet further says, "And the ears of the deaf 
shall be unstopped." When Jesus was here on earth, 
he healed the deaf and made them to hear. In the last 
few years many persons have been healed of deafness. 
Some have received the healing touch during this camp- 
meeting. One woman came forward for prayer, saying, 
"I desire you to pray for me, as people have to speak 
so very loud in order for me to hear." As soon as 
prayer was offered, she was able to hear a person talk 
in a low whisper. Another sister, who could hear with 
great difficulty, received such a healing touch that she 
was able to hear a clock tick at some distance, which she 
had not done for many years. 

LAME MADE TO WALK. 

Again hear the words of the prophet, "Then shall 
the lame man leap as an hart." It is recorded that 
when Jesus began his ministry he healed the lame, and 
afterwards we learn of Peter and John that they went 
up to the temple at the hour of prayer and healed a 
lame man. Years after this, while Paul was at Lystra, 
there was a certain man impotent in his feet, who had 
been crippled from his mother's womb and had never 
walked. "The same heard Paul speak, who steadfastly 
beholding him and perceiving that he had faith to be 
healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy 
feet, and he leaped and walked." Acts 14:8-10. Since 
that time many people have received the healing touch 
and been enabled to throw away their crutches. 

As I crossed the camp ground today, I met a man 
standing near the auditorium praising God, and when 
I asked him why he was so happy, he told me this: He 
came to the meeting a sinner and a paralytic. With con- 
siderable difficulty a brother helped him to go forward 
to the altar for prayer. In tears he began calling upon 



468 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

God for the salvation of his soul, and the Lord not only 
forgave his sins, but touched his body and healed him 
of his paralysis, and he went away from the altar leap- 
ing and shouting and praising God. He left his crutches, 
and he has no more use for them. 

Here is a crutch which belonged to a young man by 
the name of F. C. Martin, 88 Fayette St., Palmyra, N. Y. 
He met with an accident, an engine falling against his 
leg and breaking his knee. For several months he was 
severely crippled. When he came to the camp-meeting 
last year, it was with considerable difficulty that he 
walked with this crutch. But when prayer was offered 
in his behalf, the Lord sent his healing power, and 
he could walk as well as he could before the ac- 
cident. 

Here are two more crutches. They formerly belonged 
to a boy who lives about fourteen miles from Anderson, 
who had tuberculosis of the bone, and hip-disease. If 
I remember correctly, for about three years he was un- 
able to walk without crutches. When he came for 
healing, several of the children of God gathered around 
him and offered prayer, but there seemed to be no change 
in him. Prayer was again offered with the same re- 
sult. Prayer was offered the third time, and the boy 
arose and began to walk without his crutches. He 
went through the publishing-house to see the machinery, 
and then out of choice walked to the railroad station — 
a distance of about a mile. 

POWER TO HEAL TO WHOM GIVEN. 

Truly the scripture can be relied upon which says, 
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for- 
ever." Yet many people do not believe. Others do 
not understand how to exercise faith. Therefore it is 
necessary to give some more of the Word of God in order 
to increase the faith of some and remove the prejudice 



MINISTRY OF HEALING. 469 

of others. The trouble with most people is, they have 
had the faith concerning these things preached out of 
them instead of into them. It is no uncommon thing to 
meet with would-be ministers today who deny that the 
Word of God teaches that people can be healed in this 
day and age of the world. They call it fanaticism 
to believe such a doctrine, and say that if people get 
healed it is through magnetism, mesmerism, hypnotism, 
or something of the kind. They say that healing by 
the power of God stopped with the apostles. Is it any 
wonder that under such teaching the people can exer- 
cise but little faith? Let me call your attention to a 
few things. Although many of you have heard them 
repeated over and over, yet you can bear with me for 
the benefit of those who have not heard the Word of God 
on this subject, and there are a number of such present 
here this afternoon. 

You remember what the prophet said would take 
place; I have shown that this would take place in the 
gospel dispensation. I will now briefly call attention 
to the power which Jesus had. Matt. 4 : 23 says, "And 
Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their syna- 
gogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and 
healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of dis- 
eases among the people." There was nothing too hard 
for him where people came believing in him and seeking 
help. The old Pharisees and Saducees did not receive 
help, for they did not believe in him. There are peo- 
ple who believe that Jesus Christ had this power be- 
cause they have heard that he exercised it, but they 
do not believe that he gave that power to any one else. 
In Matt. 10: 1 is the commission that he gave to his 
twelve disciples. You will notice that the last part 
of the verse reads just the same as that which has just 
been read to you concerning Jesus: "And when he had 
called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them 



470 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to 
heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." 
There was not a sickness or disease that he did not 
give them power to heal. 

Again, you hear people saying that such power was 
given only to Jesus and the twelve apostles, that no 
one else has ever had such power. Again I turn to the 
tenth chapter of Luke: "After these things the Lord 
appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and 
two before his face into every city and place whither 
he himself would come." As they went forth they were 
"to heal the sick that are therein." They had the same 
commission as the twelve, and in the seventeenth verse 
we read, "And the seventy returned again with joy, say- 
ing, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through thy 
name." When the Lord sends out a minister even to 
this day, that same commission and power are given. 
If the power is not exercised, the Lord is not at fault. 
A minister may feel his weakness; he may be defeated 
at times for lack of fully trusting the Lord or complying 
with his Word; but let that be as it may, these things 
are in the commission. 

When the apostles went forth, as recorded in Mark 
6: 12, 13, they "preached that men should repent, and 
they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many 
that were sick, and healed them." But even after all 
this, they made a failure in one case. They may have 
made failures hundreds of times, for aught we know; 
but there is one case on record where a man brought to 
them his son, who was possessed with an unclean spirit, 
and the disciples could not cast it out. The father of 
the child went to Jesus and told him about it. After 
some questioning, Jesus said, "Bring him to me"; and 
he cast out the unclean spirit. No doubt the disciples 
were standing near by and felt somewhat chagrined that 
they had made a failure, but finally they ventured to 



MINISTRY OF HEALING. 471 

ask Jesus, "Why could we not cast out this unclean 
spirit?" He told them it was because of unbelief. He 
said, "This kind goeth not out except by fasting and 
prayer." Now, the failure on the part of the apostles 
was not because they did not have power over unclean 
spirits, as that was one of the things mentioned in their 
commission. It was not because they had lost their 
power or had backslidden, but because they did not in- 
quire of the Lord just how to proceed after their faith 
had been baffled. Had they done so, he would have told 
them, and their efforts would have been successful. We 
can learn a good lesson from this — when our faith is 
baffled, we should go to Jesus for instructions how to 
proceed. 

Again, we hear people acknowledge, "The Twelve 
and the Seventy had the gifts of healing, but no one 
else possessed that power." They forget about Paul, 
who healed the man at Lystra and prayed for the father 
of Publius, as recorded in the twenty-eighth chapter of 
Acts. But says one, "Paul was one of the Twelve." 
No; Paul was not one of the Twelve. He was not 
saved for two or three years after the death of Jesus, 
so he could not have been one of the Twelve. He was 
a bitter persecutor of the church of God before his 
conversion and no doubt was as strong an opposer of 
divine healing as could be found in that country. The 
reason why he opposed divine healing and the pure gos- 
pel was because he was not acquainted with Jesus. At 
that time he was not saved from his sins. When you 
find people of today opposing divine healing, and deny- 
ing the power of God to save and keep from sin, you 
may know what is the matter with them. Like Paul 
when he was a persecutor, these present-day persecutors 
believe and act as they do because they are not ac- 
quainted with Jesus, are not saved. Do you think that 
statement too strong? 



472 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

WHAT TO DO WHEN SICK. 

Jas. 5: 13-16 gives instruction to the children of God. 
This was not written alone for the people of God in the 
days of the apostles, but so long as God has children 
here upon the earth, the instruction given is, "Is any 
among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let 
him sing psalms. Is any sick among you?" — let me read 
it as it is generally practised among professing Chris- 
tians of today: "Is any sick among j'ou, let him send 
for the best doctor in town, and let him give medicine 
until he gets well or dies." Does that sound like Scrip- 
ture? How does the Bible read? "Is any sick among 
you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let 
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name 
of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick 
and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have com- 
mitted sins, they shall be forgiven him." "But," says 
one, "our elders do not believe in divine healing." Then 
I am very sorry for you and also for your elders. It 
must be that you have the wrong kind of elders or that 
you are in the wrong church. Perhaps both. The Word 
here has reference to elders whom God has chosen as 
such, and the church referred to is his church. See Acts 
20:28. 

I hear some one else saying, "What good does it do to 
put a little oil on the sick?" Tlrs may be answered by 
referring to the case of Naaman the leper, who had an 
incurable disease and was advised to go and see the 
old prophet of Israel. Being the captain of the king's 
army, he went with considerable pomp and no doubt 
expected to be received in a royal manner. We can 
imagine him coming with his caravan of camels and 
servants with presents for the prophet. As he neared 
the place, his chief servant goes on before to announce 
the coming of the great captain, and no doubt to give 
the prophet ample time to prepare for his reception. 



MINISTRY OF HEALING. 473 

The old prophet bade the servant to go and tell his 
master to go to the river Jordan and dip himself seven 
times. Now the river Jordan is a turbid stream, and 
this great man did not care to go down into the muddy 
water, and furthermore he concluded that he was not 
receiving the attention due him. Therefore he became 
wroth and went away and said, "Behold, I thought, He 
will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the 
name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over 
the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and 
Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters 
of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So 
he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants 
came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if 
the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest 
thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he 
saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, 
and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to 
the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again 
like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." 
The prophet told him if he would do this that his flesh 
would come again and he would be clean. Can you not 
see what brought about his healing? It was obedience 
to the word of God. It was not the healing properties 
in the waters of Jordan that cured him; it was obedi- 
ence. Had he gone and dipped himself seven times in 
the river Abana or Pharpar, he would have remained a 
leper. So it is with people today concerning this scrip- 
ture in James. The Word of God says, "Anoint with 
oil." The healing power is not in the oil, but it comes 
through obedience to the Word of God. It must be ac- 
companied by faith in God; otherwise oil may be poured 
on in abundance without the least manifestation of his 
healing power. 

HINDRANCES MUST BE REMOVED. 

Sometimes it happens that the sixteenth verse is al- 



4 ?4 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

together neglected. When some apply for healing, they 
need to prepare the way for the same. James says: "Con- 
fess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, 
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of 
a righteous man availeth much." Now, in this last 
verse there are two things to be taken into consideration. 
There may be some hindering cause; something that has 
been done that brought on the disease or sickness may 
have to be confessed. To show you that such things 
may be required, I wish to relate an incident which oc- 
curred in November, 1895, in the city of Grand Rapids, 
Mich. 

A boy of about nine years of age was afflicted with 
hip-disease and tuberculosis of the bone. He had been 
at the hospital four times, eight months altogether. Four 
inches of the bone in his thigh had been removed, and 
he was pronounced a hopeless case and sent home to 
die. One Sunday morning his parents sent for a min- 
ister to come and pray for him, stating that little Johnnie 
was dying. When the minister arrived, the friends were 
weeping and apparently the boy was nearing the end of 
his life. The minister afterwards said that the environ- 
ments and condition of the boy were such that he was 
not able to exercise faith for the boy's healing. He 
prayed, however, and the Lord removed the pain, and the 
boy was then able to talk with him. The minister told him 
that I should be in the city on Tuesday to attend United 
States court. Moreover, he told him of a trip that I 
had taken to the Pacific Coast and of some of the won- 
derful healings that the Lord had wrought through me 
during that time. Immediately the boy seemed to take 
courage and said, "When Brother Byrum comes, I am 
going to walk." 

Upon my arrival in the city Tuesday morning, I was 
called to see this boy. His face was so swollen that it 
was impossible for him to open his eyes. There he lay 



MINISTRY OF HEALING. 475 

helpless. After a few minutes' conversation with the 
parents, we knelt in prayer; and as we arose I expected 
to see the boy healed immediately, but there was no mani- 
festation of his healing. I felt sure I had prayed the 
prayer of faith and was somewhat disappointed in not 
seeing the boy arise from his bed. I turned to the 
parents and said, "Do you know anything in the way 
of this healing?" They replied that they did not. We 
then knelt in prayer again, and I asked God to reveal 
to them anything that might be standing in the way. 
After this I asked them whether the Lord showed them 
anything; they replied that he did not show them any- 
thing. I was then more puzzled than ever, because I 
felt that I had prayed the prayer of faith both times. 
Again I said, "Did he not bring something special to 
your mind that he would have you do?" The father 
said, "Yes; this came very impressively upon my mind, 
that we have not been baptized yet." I asked, "Have 
you light on baptism?" to which he replied that they 
had the light and knew that it was according to the 
Word of God for them to be baptized. I asked them 
when they intended to be baptized. They said, "We 
had thought of doing so next spring when the water 
gets warm." Then I asked whether there was not 
something else that the Lord brought to his mind while 
we were in prayer, and the father said, "Yes, I was 
reminded that we had not taken our names off the sec- 
tarian book where we were members." I asked him 
if he had light on the Word of God concerning the church 
of God and the evils of sectarianism. He replied that 
he had light on these things, but had simply delayed 
doing his duty. He thought that on the 15th of Janu- 
ary they would go before the synod and at that time 
have their names removed. Pointing to the boy, I said, 
"The Lord may delay that healing until the 15th of 
January, or until next spring when the water gets warm, 



476 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

if he ever does the healing at all. When are you intend- 
ing to obey God?" The father answered, "At the first 
opportunity." I replied, "God will heal that boy, then, 
at the first opportunity." And immediately the boy 
sat up, his eyes opened, and there was a great change 
in him. It was then time for me to attend court. 

The next morning I came again, and after prayer the 
boy, without the aid of crutches or the assistance of 
any one hobbled through two or three rooms and back 
to bed. His right leg hung helpless. Two weeks from 
that time he was coasting on a sled in the streets with 
the other boys. One month from that time he could 
stand with both feet on the floor, completely healed, with 
a new bone formed in his thigh. 

A year ago last July, while I was traveling and at- 
tending meetings on the Pacific Coast, one night I at- 
tended a prayer-meeting at Everett, Wash. At the 
close of the service a brother and his wife came for- 
ward, took me by the hand, and introduced themselves 
as the father and mother of little Johnnie Beck, and 
asked if I remembered the time when he was healed at 
Grand Rapids in 1895. They told me that little John- 
nie lived nine years after that, that he was completely 
healed of his former ailment, and that he took fever and 
died. Pie passed away praising God. The relating of 
this incident may encourage some one whose faith has 
been baffled to seek God earnestly and be enabled to 
remove the hindering cause. 

The one that applies for healing may have had some 
difficulty with somebody else, and must acknowledge it 
and decide to make things right before the healing will 
be accomplished. 

IMPORTUNITY SOMETIMES NECESSARY. 

It is not always the case, however, that confessions 
are required. Sometimes the devil tries to hinder faith; 



MINISTRY OF HEALING. 477 

the case seems to be a stubborn one ; and it becomes nec- 
essary to have not only active faith but also importunity. 
The latter part of the verse says, "The effectual fer- 
vent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." This 
was recorded for our encouragement. What that right- 
eous man Elijah the prophet did should be an encour- 
agement to any one in the most obstinate case that can 
be presented. When Elijah went up on Mount Carmel 
to pray for rain, there had been no rain for three years 
and six months. He did not begin his prayer because 
he saw some sign of rain, as there was not a cloud in the 
sky. After praying for a while, he sent his servant around 
the point of the mountain to look out over the sea. When 
the servant returned, he told Elijah there was no sign 
of rain. The prophet told him to go again. Again and 
again he went, until the seventh time, when he re- 
turned and said there was a little cloud out over the 
sea like a man's hand. Elijah ceased praying and told 
the servant to inform the king that there was sound of 
an abundance of rain. It was true, and soon there was 
a great rain. God will hear and answer the fervent 
prayer of the righteous. 

For your further encouragement I want to call your 
attention to a time when Abraham made some earnest 
petitions to the Lord. When he learned that God had 
decided to destroy the city of Sodom on account of 
its wickedness, he pleaded earnestly that the city might 
be spared; and in the eighteenth chapter of Genesis we 
read that he stood before the Lord. Not only so, but 
it says, "Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also 
destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure 
there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also 
destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous 
that are therein? * * * And the Lord said, If I find in 
Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare 
all Jhe place for their sakes." But Abraham, fearing 



478 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

that there might not be so many righteous persons in the 
city, said, "Peradventure there shall lack five of fifty 
righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of 
five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I 
will not destroy it." You will notice how promptly the 
Lord answered Abraham's prayer. Abraham thought 
that perhaps his figures were still too high, so he said, 
"Now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Per- 
adventure there shall thirty be found there. And he 
said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there." Although 
the Lord promptly answered Abraham, granting him his 
request, once more Abraham made an appeal, "Behold 
now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Per- 
adventure there shall be twenty found there. And he 
said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake." It seems 
that Abraham had no trouble in getting the Lord to 
grant unto him a favorable answer. Fearing that there 
might not be twenty, he made one more petition. "Oh, 
let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this 
once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he 
said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake." Do you notice 
what Abraham did this time? He tied himself up, as 
it were, or placed himself under obligations not to ask 
again when he said, "I will speak but this once" ; and im- 
mediately the Lord said, "I will not destroy it for 
ten's sake." Abraham having said he would not ask 
any more, thus ended the conversation with the Lord. 
Now comes the thought which I wish to impress upon 
your minds. "And the Lord went his way as soon as 
he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham 
returned unto his place." You will notice that the Lord 
stayed with Abraham and promptly answered his peti- 
tions every time until Abraham shut off the communica- 
tion; then the Lord went his way. Do you know that 
so long as you earnestly bring your humble petitions to 
the Lord, he will listen and is on the giving hand ? Even 



MINISTRY OF HEALING. 479 

after Abraham ceased to make any more petitions, the 
Lord was gracious and delivered the righteous out of 
the city before he destroyed it, thus giving Abraham the 
benefit of his petitions, even though the number was 
less than he had petitioned. Let us take courage and 
not be afraid to make our petitions known unto the Lord. 
I have referred to many scriptures this afternoon, but 
we read in Rom. 10: 17 that "faith cometh by hearing, 
and hearing by the word of God." I trust that the word 
given has been an inspiration of faith, and with the 
apostle I would say that the "presence of the Lord is 
here to heal" those who are sick and suffering. 



480 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

Sanctification. 

In the Auditorium, Sunday evening, June 15, 
by L. F. Robold. 

Probably there are people here who never heard the 
doctrine of sanctification preached as it is in the Word 
of God. Sanctification is a Bible doctrine, and many 
people believe that; but there are all kinds of beliefs 
about it in the world. Some believe one way and some 
believe another way. All seem to know the Bible 
teaches it, but all do not understand it. 

In the 17th chapter of John, in the 16th and 17th 
verses we read Jesus' prayer for the sanctification of his 
followers: "They are not of the world, even as I am 
not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy 
word is truth." "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, 
that they also might be sanctified through the truth." In 
1 Thess. 4 : S we hear the apostle say, "This is the will 
of God, even your sanctification/' 

The two texts from Christ's prayer are sufficient to 
prove that Jesus prayed for the sanctification of his fol- 
lowers and plainly declared it was the will of God for 
them to be sanctified. He prayed for those who were 
following him, those who stood around about him and fol- 
lowed him in his ministry. This gives us a good thought 
as to who are fit subjects for sanctification. 

Jesus preached first the gospel of repentance. John 
the Baptist also preached the gospel of repentance. Many 
people believed the Word of God and repented of their 
sins, and now, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus prayed 
for his followers, those who had repented. "These words 
spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, 
Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son 
also may glorify thee. * * * I pray not that thou should- 
est take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest 
keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, 



SANCTIFICATION. 481 

even as I am not of the world." We can see readily what 
condition those disciples that he was praying for were 
in: they were not of the world; they were in the world 
but had been saved from the evils of the world. The 
Lord had preached to them repentance and they had be- 
come his followers, and now he prayed for them that 
were saved to be sanctified. He said, "I sanctify my- 
self that they also may be sanctified/' 

The thought he conveys to our minds in his sanctifica- 
tion is a setting apart unto death. He died on the cross 
that men and women might be sanctified through the 
truth. In Thessalonians Paul declares it to be the "will 
of God even your sanctification." The Thessalonians 
were saved men. "This is the will of God even your 
sanctification." You that are justified and yet have not 
been sanctified, it is the will of God that you be sancti- 
fied. But mark this one thing: Do not seek sanctifica- 
tion before you are justified. If you do, you will get 
ahead of the Spirit of God and will begin to seek an 
experience that you are not ready for; but if you are 
justified, if your life has been cleansed from sin, if 
the Lord has spoken pardon to your soul, you are ready 
for the second work of grace that is taught in the Word 
of God — sanctification. 

HOLY GHOST RECEIVED IN SANCTIFICATION. 

In the Word of God we find other terms that signify 
the same experience. "Being made perfect in love/' 
signifies being filled with the Holy Spirit, or getting 
sanctified. To be sanctified and be filled with the Holy 
Ghost are identical. It means the same thing. There 
are people in the world that are teaching that we must 
be justified first and then be sanctified and later on be 
filled with the Holy Ghost. Such is confusion and false 
doctrine. There are people on these grounds that have 
been taught that people must first be sanctified and then 



482 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

after that get the Holy Spirit: Ah, my brethren, the Bible 
does not teach that. But when you are sanctified you get 
the Holy Ghost, and when you get the Holy Ghost you 
are sanctified; for we read in Rom. 15: 16 that we are 
sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 

Another thing I have found by coming in contact with 
those who have been taught the doctrine of three works 
of grace, that many of them do not get to where they are 
satisfied. They are seeking for something continually. 
There is such a thing as men and women becoming sanc- 
tified and getting satisfied. An experience that does not 
satisfy you is not an experience that the Bible teaches.. 

Some people claim that on the day of Pentecost the 
people got converted when the Holy Ghost was poured 
out. I met one man who said, "I tell you, when I got 
converted I got the Holy Ghost." I told him that his ex- 
perience was not according to the Bible. In the 14th 
chapter of John, 16th and 17th verses, it is recorded that 
Jesus said to his disciples: "I will pray the Father, 
and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may 
abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom 
the world can not receive, because it seeth him not, 
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth 
with you, and shall be in you." We find in this text 
two things; first, we find that the world can not receive 
the Holy Ghost, and that the disciples who were saved 
from the world could receive him, and that they had him 
with them, right then and there. It says, "Even the 
Spirit of truth ; whom the world can not receive, because 
it seeth him not, neither knoweth him : but ye know him ; 
for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." On the 
day of Pentecost, when the 120 were praying with one 
accord, the Holy Ghost came and filled the room in which 
they were sitting, falling on all of them. That was the 
fulfilment of the promise that they should have the Holy 
Spirit in them. It is the same way today. Men and 



SANCTIFICATION. 483 

women get saved from their sins, by repenting of them; 
they have the Spirit of God in their hearts, "Crying 
Abba, Father," but not in his fulness; and the Holy 
Spirit helps them to overcome evil; but when the Holy 
Ghost comes in sanctifying power he abides in them in 
his fulness. 

THE DISCIPLES BEFORE PENTECOST. 

We see by the lives of the disciples that they had 
a good experience of justification before Pentecost. Je- 
sus sent them out to preach. In the 9th chapter of Luke 
we learn that he sent out the twelve, and in the 10th 
chapter we find he sent out the seventy, and he gave 
them power over unclean spirits, to heal the sick, to 
preach the gospel. Did you ever read in the Word of 
God that Jesus sent a sinner to preach the gospel? 
Some preachers say they sin more or less every day. 
The preacher that says he sins has missed his calling. 
If your preacher is a sinning preacher, he has missed 
his calling. God called sinners, to repent, not to preach. 
He sent the twelve and he sent the seventy, and gave 
them power over unclean spirits. If they had not been 
saved, he would not have sent them out to preach: they 
could not have had this power. They were saved, and 
had power to heal the sick. Do you think the Lord 
would have sent them out and given them this power if 
they were sinners? Never, never! They went every- 
where preaching the gospel. 

In the 10th chapter of Luke we read: "And the sev- 
enty returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the 
devils are subject unto us through thy name." The 
devils were subject unto them. Do you think sinners 
have power over devils? No, but they said the devils 
were subject unto them through his name. Jesus said, 
"I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, 
I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scor- 



484 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

pions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing 
shall by any means hurt you." Now, you may not under- 
stand why he said, "I beheld Satan fall as lightning 
from heaven." I take it that at the rebuke of the dis- 
ciples the power of Satan went as quick as lightning 
falls from heaven. The spirits were obedient to the 
disciples. They were sent forth under the power of God 
and by the authority of Jesus. The Lord said, "I give 
you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over 
all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any 
means harm you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, 
that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, 
because your names are written in heaven." When does 
God write the names of people in heaven? Is it not 
when they are converted? Is it not a fact that all 
souls that get saved have their names recorded in the 
glory world? If the disciples' names were written in 
the glory world, then they were converted; and if they 
were converted before Pentecost, then on the day of 
Pentecost they were sanctified by being filled with the 
Holy Spirit. How glad I am that we can get out of the 
tangle if we take the Word of God for what it says. 
The Word of God is plain. 

THE PENTECOSTAL POWER. 

Immediately after the Holy Ghost fell upon the peo- 
ple on the day of Pentecost, a revival broke out. They 
began to preach to the people in languages that were 
represented at that time. There were different nation- 
alities gathered at Jerusalem from all the countries 
round about and there were many tongues represented on 
this occasion, and the Lord so ordained it that they be- 
gan to preach the gospel to them in their tongues or lan- 
guage, so that every man that heard it understood. As 
a result about three thousand souls were saved. 

When Peter and John were arrested some persecution 



SANCTIFICATION. 485 

was started. Sometimes that follows. When God begins 
to work, the devil begins to work, too. "And being let 
go, they went to their own company, and reported all 
that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to 
God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which 
hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that 
in them is: who by the mouth of thy servant David hast 
said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine 
vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the 
rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and 
against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child 
Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pon- 
tius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, 
were gathered together." Now listen closely to their 
prayer. "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy coun- 
sel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, be- 
hold their threatenings : and grant unto thy servants, 
that with all boldness they may speak thy word." Oh, 
how much that meant under those circumstances ! I 
often think about it. If the people of God today were 
in such a condition as that and undergoing similar trials, 
I fear a great many of them would say we ought to be 
a little more cautious about this. Some would probably 
say Peter and John were too bold or they would not have 
got into trouble. They should have been a little more 
careful. Sometimes it goes that way; but these disciples 
had nothing in them of the nature of backing down. 
They had a go-through in them. They were of the 
type of those who would rather lose their lives than to 
compromise, or to take things easy and fail to glorify 
God. The Holy Ghost will put boldness in us, will give 
us power with God and will make us able to do the will 
of God. 

There is nothing that will give success like being filled 
with the Spirit of God. I have noticed that if we keep 



486 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

filled with the Spirit of God and have faith in God, the 
sick are healed and wonders are done in Jesus' name. It 
gets hold of the people. Merely the outside fixed up, 
even though it look ever so nice, will not work like this 
will work. If we want to see the people get stirred, if 
we want to see the world taken for Christ, let us pray 
the prayer that was prayed here, that signs may follow. 
Let us live so close to God that they will follow. I 
thank God for what has been done in this camp-meeting. 
The lame have been made to walk; the blind have been 
made to see; the sick have been healed, a great number, 
yet there are many sick. We can pray the prayer of 
faith for those who are not healed yet. This is what will 
get souls to Christ. I am glad that if we live where God 
wants us to live and keep the Holy Spirit in our hearts, 
these signs will follow us because we believe, and the 
signs following will convince others and people will be- 
lieve. Let us have an increase in signs following. 

AN INSTANCE OF HEALING. 

A few years ago when I had just started out in the 
ministry, I went to Kansas City. I had not fully de- 
cided whether God wanted me to preach or not. Some- 
times the enemy had troubled me and almost made me 
believe I had no place in the body at all. But I got vic- 
tory over it with the help of God just before Brother 
Peterman came to Kansas City. I had never been in 
the city before. Tent-meeting was going on. There 
were but a few saints in attendance. In this meeting I 
made a failure of one of my sermons. I felt I had made 
a failure and the saints felt that I had. I prayed almost 
all the night following, and the next morning I prayed up 
until meeting-time. We had a better meeting that morn- 
ing. That evening I went out on the river bank and 
prevailed with God. That night we had a still better 
meeting, but the audience was small. On the third 



SANCTIFICATION. 487 

morning we were sent for to pray for an old sister. 
I think she was eighty-four years old. She was all cov- 
ered with poultices and looked as though she were ready 
to go into the other world. But by this time my faith 
had got to where I could 'leap over a wall or run through 
a troop.' We began to talk to her and to read about 
Sister Cole's healing. She said, "I was raised a Cam- 
bellite, and they don't teach healing." I told her, "Sis- 
ter, it is the Bible anyhow," to which she answered, 
"Yes, if he ever healed one individual he will heal an- 
other." We then asked her, "Do you believe that God 
will heal you if we anoint and pray for you?" She said, 
"Yes." And we anointed and prayed for her and she 
began to get out of the bed. God filled that room with his 
Spirit and helped that poor old soul. She got up and 
dressed. 

The next day she sent for us. When we came she was 
rocking in the rocking-chair and singing. She asked us 
if the Lord could heal rupture. I told her, "God can 
heal a rupture or anything your faith takes in." She 
said she had a rupture of eleven years' standing. We 
anointed her and prayed for her. She jumped over 
that floor like a young girl, and began to tell what great 
things God had done for her. God began to work, 
we had a glorious meeting, and the effects are there yet. 

If we would have success in our ministry, we must pre- 
vail with God. No matter if we are of slow speech, if 
God is our strength, we will have success. "By stretch- 
ing forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and won- 
ders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where 
they were assembled together; and they were all filled 
with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God 
with boldness." They had all received the Holy Ghost in 
power; they had repented at Peter's preaching before 
this. 



488 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS 

When Philip preached Christ to the Samaritans and 
devils were cast out, and there was great joy in the 
city, and they were baptized in the name of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Sa- 
maria had received the Word of God, and sent Peter 
and John. When they arrived they prayed for them and 
laid hands on them, and the Samaritans were filled with 
the Holy Ghost. This is another instance of a great 
company's receiving the Holy Spirit as a second work. 
The Holy Ghost was the sanctifier. They were sanc- 
tified after they had received the word and were bap- 
tized. 

At the house of Cornelius the Holy Ghost was poured 
out on a company of believers. I would to God that 
people would get faith to receive the Holy Ghost now as 
they did then. I wonder why people have to agonize 
and pray and have to be talked to so much now to get 
sanctified. The Bible says he fell on them while Peter 
was yet speaking. Why could it not be that way to- 
day? I have seen a few cases of it. My friends, I 
am firmly convinced that if your justified life is clean 
and your faith is properly taught, you can receive sanc- 
tification in your seats. I believe that with all of my 
heart. I know there is a class of people in this world 
that claim you must tarry, and tarry, and tarry, but 
why the need of tarrying when he is already here ? They 
will cite the fact that the apostles tarried at Jerusalem 
to be endued with power; but mark you, the fact is, the 
Holy Spirit was not in the world then as a sanctifier. 
They had to wait until the proper time came. We read 
about the multitude of them that were there praying, 
and it says they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. 
Every one of them at Samaria and the household of Cor- 
nelius were also filled. While Peter yet spake to them, 
the Holy Spirit fell on them. 

In a meeting at Winslow, Ind., while the minister 



SANCTIFICATION. 489 

was preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on us, and a brother 
came up and asked, "Do I have to go to the altar after 
I get the experience?" He said, "I was listening to the 
preaching and the Holy Spirit came. I opened my heart 
and received him." I have never known of this man 
doubting his sanctification. It can be that way, brethren, 
and when we consider that it is God's will for you to 
have the experience, is it not reasonable to believe he 
will pour it out upon us? Peter said on the day of 
Pentecost, "Repent, every one of you in the name of 
the Lord Jesus Christ, and ye shall receive the gift of 
the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you." Is that 
all? "And unto your children and to all that are afar 
off; even as many as the Lord our God shall call." And 
the God of the Bible said, regarding the last days: 'I 
will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and 
your daughters shall prophecy/ I am glad that we are 
living in the last days when the Holy Spirit is being 
poured out. Open your heart, and let the Holy Spirit 
come in. Sometimes I think some people get it in their 
minds as something way up yonder, that they will have 
to work and stretch and pull and tarry for in order to 
receive. The better way is to have simple faith in God's 
promises and you will get it, after you have met the 
conditions of the Word. 

CONDITIONS TO BE MET. 

The consecration of your all to God is the condition 
upon which men and women receive the Holy Ghost, or 
get sanctified; but it ought not to take a justified man or 
woman long to make that consecration. After you have 
once tasted the good things of God in regeneration, there 
ought to be a hungering in your heart for the sanc- 
tified experience; and especially if you have gone far 
enough in the justified life that you have become con- 
scious of the fact that there is something lacking in 



490 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

you that prevents your doing the will of God at all 
times as you ought to. I don't think you will go very 
far until you will find that out. In the first good hard 
trial I got into after I was saved, I found something in 
me that pulled me hard towards sin. Have you ever 
had that experience? Yes, no doubt you have. 

I remember especially one experience. I had never 
heard a sermon on sanctification and did not know 
what it meant. One hot afternoon I was plowing in new 
ground with a mule team, and the team got contrary. 
I was getting tired. We came to a place where a stump 
had been dug out and the mules would not step over it, 
but all at once they jumped over it and pulled me with 
them. There was something in me, which, if I had 
obeyed its leadings, would have caused me to take up 
a root and beat the mule as hard as I could. I thought, 
"O Lord, have I backslid?" That thing seemed to sur- 
prise me. I did not know what to do. I never heard 
anybody preach sanctification as a second work of grace. 
I got down on my knees and prayed to God that he 
would never let that thing come to pass again. But it 
did. Later on I heard some one preach on a second 
work of grace, and on being carnal, what the Holy Spirit 
would do, etc. I found out what was the thing that 
wanted to kill the mules ; it was the old man, that carnal 
nature. I began to seek God for the experience of sanc- 
tification and never stopped until the Lord gave it to 
me. Oh, it was wonderful, the destruction of the old 
man and the crowning King of kings of the new man ! 
Glory to God ! 

My brothers and sisters, have you received the Holy 
Ghost since you believed? Let us read in the 19th chap- 
ter of Acts. Here we are going to learn about a dozen 
men who were possibly in your condition, save they never 
had heard of the Holy Ghost. "And it came to pass, 
that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed 



SANCTIFICATION. 491 

through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding 
certain disciples, he said unto them, Have ye received 
the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto 
him, We have not so much as heard whether there be 
any Holy Ghost." They were saved, for they were 
disciples, or believers. The apostle said, "Whosoever 
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." I 
do not mean to believe with the head, for the Word says, 
"With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and 
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Rom. 
10:10. 

"Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ?" 
That is the question that is before you tonight. The 
Ephesian disciples did not receive him when they be- 
lieved; they had not even heard that there was such a 
thing as the Holy Ghost or heard that there was such 
an experience taught in the Word of God as a second 
work of grace. I want to know, Have you made an ef- 
fort to receive him? These people had never heard of 
him, and on the first occasion of hearing of him they 
began to seek for him, and thank God, found him. "And 
he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? 
And they said, Unto John's baptism." After awhile 
they got ready by being taught how to get the Holy 
Ghost. Hands were laid on them and they received 
the Holy Ghost after they believed. Peter, and John, 
and Philip, and Paul, preached repentance, and people 
repented, and were saved; then afterward they were 
sanctified. 

Maybe you have not felt the necessity of sanctifica- 
tion. I wish to say that if you have not, you will not go 
far from this camp-meeting until you will .actually feel 
the necessity. If you have had some light hereto- 
fore on sanctification you will not stay saved very long 
unless you get sanctified; for people must walk in the 
light as he is in the light if they would stay clear be- 



492 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

fore God. I beg of you not to leave this camp-meeting 
tonight until you know you are sanctified. You are go- 
ing to need the experience when you go back to the 
duties of life. You will find trials too great for you to 
stand. The Lord help you tonight to realize that this 
is the perfecting of the saints of God; and that it is God's 
will for you. The Lord give you understanding and make 
you hungry for this experience. 

Brethren, pray for those who you know are not sanc- 
tified. Let us pray to God while we are talking, that 
men and women become sanctified; the people are go- 
ing to need it. "This is the will of God even your sanc- 
tification." The Lord said, "Not every one that saith, 
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but 
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." 
Have you felt the need of it in your own soul? Are 
you convinced that there is something that ought to 
be cleansed out by a second work of grace? It is the 
will of God that you have it cleansed out. Oh, the ne- 
cessity of men and women seeking for this glorious ex- 
perience ! 

What will it do for you? It will do wonders for you. 
It will simply deliver you from the last and least re- 
mains of the nature of sin in your moral being. It will 
do that. It will take out of your soul that old root of 
sin that you received through the fall of Adam, that 
thing that the Bible calls carnality, the old man. There 
are some folks who deny there is a cleansing in sanc- 
tification. They say they were made clean through jus- 
tification. They are clean from committed sin in their 
outward life, but sanctification, thank God, will give 
them a clean heart. Hear what the prophet says of it: 
"Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall 
stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire 
and fuller's soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and 
a purifier of silver, and purify the sons of Levi, and 



SANCTIFICATION. 493 

purge them as gold and silver." This is just what the 
Holy Spirit will do, purge, purify the very soul of all 
the carnal nature until the very image of Jesus is re- 
flected in us. God help us. People need this as surely 
as we are here. You will need it more from this on. 

We are sanctified through the blood of Jesus Christ. 
The blood cleanses us from all sin, that is one thing 
it does for us. Another thing is, it gives us power; it 
gives us ability to do the will of God. Somebody may 
get to thinking that that power means a good deal of 
noise in the way of shouting. It may come that way 
and it may come like a gentle rain. It may come with 
just an inner consciousness that the work is done. The 
power referred to is power to overcome sin and tempta- 
tions; power to do the will of God. Notice the life of 
the disciples before and after the day of Pentecost, 
how much more power they had. Take Peter for in- 
stance, that fellow who was so impulsive and got into 
so much trouble through his weakness before Pentecost. 
After Pentecost he was strong and fearless. Peter, 
James, and John wanted God to rain fire down from 
heaven and destroy those who did not receive them; but 
after they got the Holy Ghost, how different they were ! 
That is what it will do for you. Praise the Lord! It 
will also fill you with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 
The day I was converted was the best day I had ever 
experienced until the day I was sanctified; that was a 
better day. Yet I had all the glory I could stand when 
I was converted. You will be able to stand more when 
you are sanctified. 

Thank God for the completeness through the blood 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray to God that he will 
help you to obtain sanctification in this meeting. Breth- 
ren and sisters, I say again in conclusion, you are going 
to need it when you leave here. God bless you; and if 
you do not get it, you are going to miss the best gift 



494 CAMP-MEETING SERMONS. 

of God. Now, this is as good a time as you will ever 
have to get it, and the best time you sinners will ever 
have to get salvation; no better time than now. God 
help us now. Today is the day of salvation, and if you 
hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 



Needful Books for Home Study 

The Secret of Salvation; How to Get It and How to Keep It. 
By E. E. Byrum. 403 pages Paper, 35c. Cloth, $1.00. 

Two Hundred Genuine Instances of Divine Healing 1 . The 
Doctrine Explained. Compiled and arranged by A. L. 
Byers. 511 pages. Size, 5x7. Cloth Price, $1.00. 

Bible Beading's for Bible Students and for the Home and 
Fireside. A convenient arrangement of scriptural texts 
under 282 interesting subjects. By S. L. Speck and H. M. 
Riggle. 276 pages. Size, 5x7. Cloth Price, $1.00. 

Evolution of Christianity; or, Origin, Nature, and Develop- 
ment of the Religion of the Bible. By F. G. Smith. 354 
pages. Size, 5x7. Cloth Price, $1.00. 

The Christian Church; Its Rise and Progress. By H. M. 

Riggle. 488 pages. Size, 5x7. Cloth Price, $1.00. 

The Revelation Explained. By F. G. Smith. 459 pages. Size, 

5x7 Cloth, $1.00. 

The Cleansing of the Sanctuary; or, The Church of God in 

Type and Revelation. By D. S. Warner and H. M. Riggle. 

541 pages. Size, 6^x9. Cloth Price, $1.50. 

The Kingdom of God and the One Thousands Years' Reign. 
By H. M. Riggle. 260 pages. Cloth Price, $1.00. 

Man, His Present and Future. By H. M. Riggle. 206 pages. 

Cloth Price, 50c. 

Christian Baptism, The Lord's Supper, and Feet-Washing. 

By H. M. Riggle. 263 pages. Size, 5x7. Cloth. .Price, 50c. 
The Sabbath and the Lord's Day. By H. M. Riggle. 238 

pages Paper, 25c. Cloth, 50c. 

Salvation: Present, Perfect; Now or Never. By D. S. Warner. 

118 pages Paper, 15c. Cloth, 35c. 

The Ordinances of the Bible. By E. E. Byrum. 116 pages. 

Paper, 15c. Cloth, 35c. 

Two Works of Grace. By H. M. Riggle. 90 pages.—Paper, 10c. 

What is the Soul? By D. S. Warner. 82 pages Paper, 10c. 

A Religious Controversy. By Chas E. Orr. 92 pages. 

Paper, 10c. 

Sanctification. By J. W. Byers. 112 pages Paper, 10c. 

Hell and Everlasting Punishment. By H. M. Riggle. 64 pages. 
Paper, 10c. 

Also many other books, periodicals, children's papers, Sun- 
day-school literature, pamphlets, and tracts in different lan- 
guages. Send for our 64-page catalog. 



GOSPEL TRUMPET COMPANY, ANDERSON, INDIANA. 



SEP 15 1918 









Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: April 2006 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 
1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township. PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 






fy 






: %$ 






%,<$■ 



& 






o 













^" ^* 



c- »- 







S> ; * 3 n ° ^0 o * A 



/"% ' 




* ( 



















A v , 






-^ <ir 




.A 



^ v 


















